Academic Portfolio

artifact #1

Females who train in masculine sports such as combat sports find they must challenge traditional gender roles. This assignment was to understand how to review and critically consume the existing literature in the field of sport psychology. I chose the topic of females in combat sports because of the constant negotiation I have had to make between my gender as a female and the masculine qualities required to be successful in jiu jitsu, kickboxing, and MMA. The study I chose to review found that mental toughness is a necessary element of any combat sport and how mindfulness is a tool to develop this quality in females. In this assignment I demonstrate my ability to critically review studies and apply them to my own client base.

artifact #2

This assignment was to evaluate three different articles and reflect on their usefulness. I also had to write my own case study that would allow me to apply what I learned on a hypothetical client. I chose the topic of perfectionism that leads to burnout because it was a prominent theme in my own athletic career. The first and second articles were published by the same authors regarding perfectionism and burnout but had different mediating variables. The third article explored perfectionism and burnout via type of sport and whether multi-sport athletes burn out more or less than specific sport athletes. The findings are all related in their definition as burnout being a consequence of sacrifices outweighing rewards. The articles were then used to prove how a high school wrestler in a controlled motivational climate was having his basic psychological needs thwarted. I proposed he would benefit from adding another sport in the offseason since the third study proved multi-sport athletes burnout less than one-sport athletes. Sometimes putting all of your eggs in one basket leads to faster deterioration of motivation and healthy athletic identity.

artifact #3

This assignment gave a case study about a counselor/consultant with multiple roles, clients, and demands. There were three parts: identify which ethical decision model to use, point out which ethical standards were violated, and decide what action to take in regards to part one and two. I chose the ACA ethical decision-making model and ACA code of ethics to abide by and choose a solution. The case study was about a man named Elliott and his issues with confidentiality, nonmaleficence, competency, and dual agency. I was able to express multiple reasons in which he was at fault and violated ethical standards and behaviors. In the field of mental performance consulting, the consultant is often the only one who has a duty to abide by ethical standards of behavior. Because of this, there is a requirement that I understand what these ethics are, how they apply to practical situations, how to recognize them if they happen, and how to reconcile potential issues. There is much research to be done in different areas of this profession and we cannot prevent every possible ethical issue, but we can be vigilant.

artifact #4

This assignment was to advocate for an ethical approach to a designated population. I realized that most combat sports have no ethical code or overarching governing body to regulate the athletes, promoters, and competitions. Ethics guide our behavior so without them, it feels like a free-for-all in regards to athlete well-being. Ethics also create a standard of conduct that can protect athletes so without sound regulations, it is impossible to advocate for yourself as an MMA athlete. This is why my role as a mental performance consultant is vital for MMA athletes because I am the one with the knowledge of ethics and virtues due to my professional obligations. I can be the voice for athletes when I take them in as clients because I can help prevent ethical dilemmas from happening in the first place. In this assignment I argued that foundational virtues help regulate ethical behavior before a problem even exists by instilling these values through my practice as a mental performance consultant.

Interventions Approach

artifact #5

This assignment is my powerpoint on the mental skills training and interventions I use with my clients. It exemplifies both my knowledge of mental skills training as well as the demands of combat sports. My ability to apply principles to the realm of MMA, grappling, striking, wrestling, etc. is a part of the assignment that was not required but the best way I knew how to apply what I know. As a martial artist myself who has trained, competed, and fought in various disciplines, I learned this material by attaching the theories and frameworks to my past experiences, which is what I hope that I'm able to do for my clients. This learning objective is important for applying our own philosophy to the education and training we implement with our clients and I think I achieved that by staying authentic.

artifact #6

This assignment was to conceptualize a case study and provide a science-practitioner approach to interventions. This allowed me to use my personal philosophy regarding how to conceptualize the case, interpret what the client needed, and what interventions that could be effective. The case is about a high school student-athlete who has no plans for graduation but says she wants to play professional basketball. Taking a whole-person approach in this assignment led me to understand that I also want to employ a whole-person approach with my clients because it allows me to see them as a person with many domains and stressors outside of the performance domain. It also made me realize how much identity and social support must be considered when working with clients who have important decisions to make. Deep conversations must happen for them to explore possibilities of multiple selves.

Cultural Awareness

artifact #7

This assignment allowed me to apply multicultural theories and models to a case study that detailed a diverse family system, cultural values, power and privilege, and most importantly, my role as a white, cis-gender female working with minority clients. It caused me to recognize my own privileges and how they affect my role as a consultant. I used the racial/cultural identity development model that identifies five phases of acculturation. I acknowledge that counseling theories are traditionally from a EuroAmerican viewpoint and cater to white heterosexual males. The clients in the case study were of Hispanic descent and identified as Latinx. I broke down ways in which each family member contributes their own cultural experiences and understandings and pointed out ways in which this created conflict for the 13-year-old client. It’s important for my development as a mental performance consultant because recognizing the unique demands and cultural aspects of a client’s worldview is essential for ethical concerns as well as effectiveness. I must take into account my clients’ unique experiences through their lens and resist using my own experiences as the only way to see things. My experience as a white American is going to be very different from clients from other ethnicities and cultures. It also helped me identify that each gym, each sport has its own culture and learning about them will help me understand a client’s needs more thoroughly.

artifact #8

This assignment asked that we insert ourselves into a sport that we are unfamiliar with and write a paper identifying sociological themes and reflect. I could have chosen many because I do not have much experience outside of combat sports, however, I chose to attend a professional wrestling event in St. Louis, MO. As with many people who are uneducated about pro wrestling, I assumed it was more entertainment than sport. While the winner is predetermined, the athleticism and wrestling knowledge required for an effective performance certainly makes it a sport as much as it is entertaining. I believe understanding another culture is best done by immersion.

Philosophy

artifact #9

This assignment is my powerpoint on the mental skills training and interventions I use with my clients. It exemplifies both my knowledge of mental skills training as well as the demands of combat sports. My ability to apply principles to the realm of MMA, grappling, striking, wrestling, etc. is a part of the assignment that was not required but the best way I knew how to apply what I know. As a martial artist myself who has trained, competed, and fought in various disciplines, I learned this material by attaching the theories and frameworks to my past experiences, which is what I hope that I'm able to do for my clients. This learning objective is important for applying our own philosophy to the education and training we implement with our clients and I think I achieved that by staying authentic.