Most Sport Shrinks (or, those claiming expertise in working with athletes on psychological aspects of sport competition) suck. Really! In today's "ESPN society", you are bound to come across a professional claiming to be the key to improving your mental game, toughness, concentration, team performance, etc...They are interviewed on ESPN, in local and national newspapers, and heard on popular news radio shows. Most professional teams use one or have utilized the services of one in some capacity. However, what most people come to conclude, in my opinion, and what I have come to conclude in my experience as a sport psychology consultant, is that most professionals in this line of work are not worth the money they charge. Thus, the stigma of working with a sport psychology consultant continues, needlessly, due to the continued incompetence of a select few.

Need three reasons? Read on...The following are three reasons why most sport psychology consultants suck.

1. They make it about them

Most sport psychology consultants believe that their experience or education is a means to impress potential clients. They believe that initials and abbreviations after their name will lead others to seek them out. They just don't get it. Browse through their materials (if they even have any brochures, or a professional website and email address) and you are bound to come across endless resumes or professional qualifications, most of which serve only to bore potential clients. Does a credential really matter? Does a certification from The American Board of Sport Psychology make them better? Does the fact that they have self-published a book "wow" you? Does it matter that they have researched the effects of mood states on badmitton performance? Not really.

2. They lack the necessary skills/experience

The ongoing argument among sport psychology professionals centers around credentialing and experience. Some sport psychology professionals work solely on performance issues, and do not have the training to engage in individual counseling for life issues. Others have plenty of clinical skills but no idea how to help you increase the number of fairways hit during a round of golf. Most have neither the skills necessary nor the expertise needed to help their clients get results. In fact, many sport psychology professionals are "moonlighting" professors of some sort, and claim that their experience in academia positions them as experts in the field. It doesn't, and potential clients need to know this.

3. They lack interpersonal skills

Unfortunately, I am compelled by experience to list the lack of interpersonal skills here as a reason that most sport psychology consultants suck. Many of these professionals have adequate experience, and some even have the professional skills to address both performance and personal issues (most sport competition issues are related to both personal and sport factors, contrary to what some may tell you). However, few sport psychology consultants possess the interpersonal skills needed to effectively engage and work with their clientele. I have seen professionals engage in the following behaviors (all of which are unprofessional and signs you should look elsewhere!):

• Becoming angry when faced with a client's decision to choose another consultant
• Misrepresent their body of work and past clients
• Charge college student-athletes for sessions under the guise of volunteer work (without telling the coach!)
• Promise results
• Become defensive and verbally abusive when confronted with the above behaviors
• Demand to be called "Doctor"

The bottom line is this: When choosing a sport psychology consultant, use both your head and your heart. Use the following questions to guide you:

• Has the consultant worked with athletes and teams before? If so, whom?
• Are they qualified to provide counseling for both personal issues and performance issues?
• Can they adequately listen and answer any questions you might have?
• Are you comfortable interacting with them?
• Can they provide references/past clients you can contact for assurance? (This may be limited by confidentiality issues, but they should still be able to provide coach references, athletic director references, etc)
• Are their services priced fairly?

Once you have the answers to these questions, you will be able to make an informed decision regarding hiring a sport psychology consultant. Don't be afraid to demand quality and character; if you don't, you'll end up paying the price (literally)!