Abriana Fines

Michael Hatfield

Sports Psychologist

P3 Performance

Bachelors in Business, Masters in Psychology

1. What are the major job responsibilities of this position?

- The major job responsibilities of Mr. Hatfields position as a sports psychologist is to

provide his clients information on what impacts their physical performance in either

sports or other physically-demanding activities. He evaluates their mental status and

performance through a variety of different evaluations. He established his business, P#

Performance, to share his expertise.

2. Describe a day in the life and a week in the life of this individual.

- In his field, with a variety of different cases that he is exposed to, there is no typical day.

Hatfield described some days he is working forty-eight hours in a row measuring the

heart rate, sleep patterns, stress levels, and mental states of some patients. Other days

he will be analyzing the data collected from one of his patients skills evaluations and

working with that individuals to improve their physical performance. Some days he is

even at board meeting with elite military officials determining what the best approach is

to better military performance.

3. What educational background is required for this position? What specific skills are needed to

perform this job? What classes from an undergraduate degree are most useful to the

performance of this job? What, if any, are the needs for more education/skill training after

getting the job?

- Mr. Hatfields undergraduate degree is in business and his graduate work was in the

field of psychology. When questioned on the courses that he recommends for others to

take to excel in his career, he answered, its like a dietit differs for everyone. For

Hatfield, the courses that personally aided him were strength and conditioning, human

relations, and public speaking.

4. How does the persons current position relate to a whole career (current job is culmination or

one stage along the path what does the career path look like)?

- Mr. Hatfield did not envision himself in his current position while in his undergraduate

studies. He was involved in the military for some years before taking up a graduate

studies program. Hatfield is unlike other sports psychologist as he has established his

own business, therefore, there is not much higher in his career that he can get besides

becoming more known in the sports world and working with major league sporting

teams, which he noted to have worked with before.

5. Are there areas of educational specialization that should be considered either during or after

an undergrad degree?

- He indicated that having a background in public speaking is beneficial for not only his

occupation, but every occupation that requires communication with other individuals.

6. With your degree, you chose this particular career path. What other career opportunities did

you/do you have? Why might you not have taken a particular path that was possible for you,

given your educational background?

- Hatfield has experience working as a coach and business professional. In every position,

Hatfield said that he is driven by excellence and always being better than the person to

the left and right of him.

7. What Exercise Science sub-disciplines interested you most?

- Mr. Hatfield is interested in the connection of the mind and body. It fascinates him to

observe individuals doing what they are passionate about, in addition to what makes

the good great in the athletic world.

8. What is the sense of where the jobs are in the field (geographically;

city/urban/suburban/country; service, consulting vs. hands-on, etc.)

- Sport Psychologists are found in numerous places; some of which are on military bases

and major league sports. Any business or company that involves physical activity will

likely have a sports psychologist on staff or on that readily available for consultations by

various companies.

9. Do you have any advice for young adults about to start their careers?

- Mr. Hatfield noted that individuals should not let negativity in. Being negative equates

being lazy and unknowledgeable. He said that while in primary, secondary, and in

college, he hated school. However, he is currently on his way to receiving his doctorate.

To him, it is important to always stay curious, always keep learning, and remain positive.

10. Prior to this interview, what were your assumptions/ideas about this career? How have your

ideas changed since the interview, if at all? How well do you think you would fit into this

position, given your knowledge about your own interests, values and abilities? What are your

overall impressions of this position and this career field in general?

- I have never thought about having a career in any typical sporting background such as

being a basketball coach or a professional soccer athlete. I was always more intrigued

by the less popular sports of rockclimbing and kayaking. However, Mr. Hatfields

presentation on sports psychology made me wish I had learned about this career path

sooner. I almost majored in psychology before ultimately choosing sociology. I found

what he discussed interesting as he mentioned he examines why athletes play their

particular sport and at what level of playing they play to.

I believe I would be good at this position had I studied the necessary field and gained

the knowledge that is required to effectively manage this career. Although,

continuously learning is a lesson I try to live by, I do not see myself learning the

information needed to follow this career path.