Sports psychology is a far older field than you would imagine — its beginnings predate even classic Skinnerian operant conditioning. However, for almost a century, it remained on the fringes of the field, until it gained popularity after it came to light that the US National Olympic team employed a small army of psychologists. The USNT’s results were astounding, winning a record 83 medals as the host nation, eclipsing even the Soviet Empire’s 80 medals during the boycott year of 1980. No doubt, their performance began to get owners and managers and GMs interested in the field.
Roll ‘Bama Roll Reading Room: The Genius of Athletes — popular psychology done right
