Sports Psychology

This immersive course is designed for high school students passionate about the physical and mental aspects of sports. This course explores the fascinating intersection of mental performance, athletic achievement, and the business of sports, examining how elite athletes and sports organizations train minds to reach peak performance while building successful careers and brands. Students will dive deep into sports psychology fundamentals, studying team dynamics, mental training techniques, and strategies for overcoming performance anxiety, while also exploring how these psychological principles apply to sports business, athlete marketing, and team management. Through interactive workshops, case studies, and field experiences at UCLA's world-class athletic facilities, participants will gain hands-on insight into how mental conditioning shapes both athletic success and the multi-billion dollar sports industry. By the end of the program, students will have a comprehensive understanding of sports psychology as a field and explore diverse career pathways spanning psychology, business, and sports management for those interested in pursuing this dynamic interdisciplinary field in college and beyond.

Learning Outcomes

• Students will be able to identify and explain the core principles of sports psychology, including the psychological factors that influence athletic performance, mental resilience, and team cohesion.
• Students will develop practical skills in mental training techniques such as visualization, goal-setting, self-talk, and mindfulness strategies that athletes use to manage performance anxiety and enhance focus under pressure.
• Students will analyze real-world case studies of elite athletes who worked with sports psychologists, demonstrating understanding of how psychological intervention contributes to athletic success and exploring various career opportunities within the sports psychology field.

Final Project:

Students will work in small groups to develop a comprehensive performance enhancement plan for an assigned athlete profile. Each group will receive a detailed case study of a current or former professional athlete and will create a complete mental training program to help their athlete reach peak performance.

Possible Field Trips

• UCLA Athletic Medicine Center - Tour of UCLA's sports medicine and performance psychology facilities
• UCLA Bruins Athletic Facilities - Behind-the-scenes access to where UCLA student-athletes train, including observations of team practices and mental conditioning sessions
• Wasserman Football Center- Visit to UCLA's state-of-the-art football training facility featuring sports science and performance optimization labs
• UCLA Health Sports Performance Center - Exploration of cutting-edge technology used in athlete assessment and psychological performance tracking
• Local professional sports team facility (pending availability) - Potential visit to LA Lakers, LA Dodgers, or other professional team facilities to observe sports psychology integration at the professional level



*Examples only, subject to change