Caveat Academy course · Grades 9 to 12

Psychology of Sports: the mental side of performance

Why the best free-throw shooter in practice misses in close games, and what to do about it: find your arousal zone, stop choking, set goals you control, write an imagery script, fix your self-talk, beat social loafing, read the home advantage and recover from burnout and injury. Six modules at your own pace, ending with a mental skills plan you can use in sport, music or the next big test.

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$19one-time · every device you sign in on
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Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the High school electives library, $119 for 66 items.

6 modules · 18 lessonsabout 12 hours$19

Six modules, eighteen lessons

Each module ends with a practice set that tracks mastery, an explain-it-back prompt, a short written response and a module exam. The final opens when every module is proficient; passing it earns a certificate with a verification code.

  1. Module 1: The field and what drives athletes

    Explain what sport psychology studies, separate performance skills from health care and use self-determination and achievement goal theory to diagnose motivation problems.

    • What sport psychology is
    • Personality and the athlete
    • Motivation
    about 2.1 h

  2. Module 2: Arousal, anxiety and pressure

    Apply the inverted-U and individual zones to find an optimal arousal level, explain choking and choose tools to calm down or energize.

    • Arousal and performance
    • Anxiety and choking
    • Managing arousal
    about 2.1 h

  3. Module 3: Mental skills: goals, imagery, self-talk and focus

    Design outcome, performance and process goals, a PETTLEP imagery script and instructional or motivational self-talk with the right focus of attention.

    • Goal setting
    • Imagery
    • Self-talk and attention
    about 2.1 h

  4. Module 4: Teams, leaders and audiences

    Analyze team cohesion, social loafing, leadership feedback and audience effects, including the home advantage.

    • Cohesion and social loafing
    • Leadership and communication on a team
    • Audiences and the home advantage
    about 2.1 h

  5. Module 5: Burnout, injury and wellbeing

    Recognize signs of overtraining, burnout and mental health concerns, plan injury rehabilitation goals and know when to involve medical and mental health professionals.

    • Overtraining and burnout
    • The psychology of injury
    • Mental health in sport
    about 2.1 h

  6. Module 6: Putting it together

    Build and evaluate a personal mental skills plan with a pre-performance routine, conditions for flow and a supportive, sporting environment.

    • Routines and your mental skills plan
    • Flow
    • Parents, sportsmanship and the sport environment
    about 2.1 h

Try it before you start

This is how every lesson works: step through a worked example at your own pace, then answer a check and get the reason right away. Nothing here is saved; the course keeps your progress.

Module 3 · Imagery

Worked example: a free-throw imagery script

  1. Stand at the line in practice shoes and hold a ball, following the Physical guideline.

A lesson check from each module

The checks need JavaScript turned on. The course itself works the same way.

What you get

Academics · High SchoolAlso for Enrichment · Passion Projects$19 · included with the Academy pass and Whole-school licenses

What you finish with
A finished elective in sport psychology and a mental skills plan of your own: you can tell performance skills from health care, diagnose a motivation problem with autonomy, competence and relatedness, find your optimal arousal zone, explain choking and choose tools to calm down or energize, write outcome, performance and process goals, an imagery script and useful self-talk, choose the right focus of attention, analyze cohesion, social loafing, feedback and the home advantage, recognize burnout and the signs that call for medical or mental health help, plan injury rehabilitation, build a pre-performance routine and set up the conditions for flow. Passing the final earns a Caveat certificate of completion.
Who it is for
High school athletes who want an edge between the ears, students in music, dance, theater or debate who face the same nerves, students curious about psychology careers in sport and homeschool families looking for a psychology or health elective. The skills are practical; the course is general education and points to doctors, athletic trainers and counselors for health concerns.
Format
An online self-paced course: 6 modules and 18 lessons with worked examples you reveal step by step, 144 practice and exam items (multiple choice, numeric, fill-in and ordering), an explain-it-back prompt and a rubric-checked short response in every module, module exams with one retake, a 24-question final and a certificate with a verification code. About 12 hours in all; works on a phone or a computer.
Access
$19 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the course opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the High school electives library ($119) and the Academics Suite pass ($149), and 1 more bundle. Progress is saved in this browser on this device, and the certificate page lets you download your record.
Where it lives
The High School space in Caveat Academics; also listed for the Passion Projects space in Caveat Enrichment (the Sports Psychology record, which is the same course).
Support
Access, a receipt, a refund or a correction to the course: team@caveatacademic.com.

How it works

  1. Open the course and start Module 1. Each lesson takes about 25 to 35 minutes; two or three a week finishes the course in about a semester.
  2. Answer the checks as you read. Every answer shows the reason, and a miss links you back to the lesson that covers it.
  3. Finish each module with its practice set and exam. Proficient on every module opens the final; 70 percent passes it.
  4. Print or download your certificate and record from the certificate page.

Start the course

Sources and accuracy

The lessons are original writing by Caveat Academic Services. Facts were checked against these free, open references, which are also good places to read further.

  1. Association for Applied Sport Psychology, resources for athletes, parents and performers: appliedsportpsych.org
  2. American Psychological Association, Division 47 (Society for Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology): apadivisions.org
  3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HEADS UP concussion safety for youth sports: cdc.gov
  4. OpenStax, Psychology 2e, chapters on motivation, emotion and social psychology (free textbook): openstax.org
  5. 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, call or text 988 in the United States: 988lifeline.org

Psychology of Sports is a self-paced elective from Caveat Academic Services. It does not replace a school psychology or health course and awards no credit. It is general education, not medical or mental health advice; follow your doctor and athletic trainer on injuries and concussions. If you are struggling, talk with a trusted adult or a school counselor; in a crisis in the United States, call or text 988. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.