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by Theresa Boespflug
There are three roles associated with sport psychology, and Sandra Short is engaged in all of them: teaching, research, and consulting.
Short is a professor in the physical education and exercise sciences and wellness department at the University of North Dakota. She teaches sport sociology, research methods, and sport psychology.
Short works directly with many athletes on campus. She focuses on performance enhancement, which many include teaching them to use imagery or visualization, to set and achieve goals, to develop or refine pre-performance routines, etc.
Short recently wrote a book titled “Self-Efficacy in Sport,” which focuses on research and strategies for teams, coaches, and athletes. The book presents research and strategies for building, maintaining, and regaining confidence in sports. This is Short’s main interest.
“I feel like I have to give students the best I know, by keeping up on current events and reading a lot,” Short said.
She has used all the techniques in the book with athletes. “It’s interesting to see that the athletes are still doing things that we discussed three years ago,” she said.
She recently received an e-mail from a former UND athlete who said that he was still using the techniques he learned from her. “The best part of my job is keeping in contact with the athletes and students knowing that they are using what they learned from me in their futures, and that I can make a lasting impression on their lives,” Short said.
For her research efforts, Short received the Outstanding Achievement in Scholarship Award of 2007 from the college of education and human development at UND.
Short attended the University of Calgary where she originally wanted to become a scientist. At that time her perception was that research was conducted by people in labs wearing white coats. This changed when she started taking psychology classes. Sport psychology was one of the last classes she took, and it was then when she realized she could combine her passion for research with her sport “fanaticism.” She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, then continued her studies for her masters at the University of Western Ontario. She earned the degree in 10 months and went on to Michigan State University where she earned her doctorate.
One of Short’s biggest challenges is finding a balance in her life. She is a professor and a mother and works hard at both. Needing a reminder to take time for herself, Sandra Short recently got two tattoos, one on each wrist. On her right wrist she has her two children’s names, and on the left, a quote, that reads “live, laugh, love.”
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