Sport psychology  is the intersection of kinesiology—the study of anatomy in relation to human movement—and psychology. As a discipline, sport psychology focuses on the effect sports and exercise have a on person’s psychological state, and on how a person’s psychological state can affect their physical performance.

Sport psychologists can help a wide variety of people, such as athletes, coaches, parents with a child recovering from a sport-related injury, teams, and people who simply enjoy exercise. The need for a sport psychologist is not limited to collegiate- or professional-level athletes. Sport psychologists aim to help athletes and others manage and overcome issues so that they can continue to perform at their desired exercise level.

There are also physical injuries from sports that may require a psychologist as supplementary care, such as with concussions and mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs). These are increasingly common in certain sports like football and hockey, especially among adolescents, and there are mental and psychological consequences, such as memory loss, to these injuries.

A psychologist can help with performance enhancement and with dealing with the aftermath of a concussion.