This timeline provides a scannable list of major milestones, leaders and other developments within the division that have bolstered the understanding of sport psychology, supported the research of students and early career psychologists, promoted public awareness of performance psychology and initiated programs and activities within APA.
2017
Courtney Albinson becomes the 23rd president.
March: The society hosts the first meeting of the Sport Psychology Professional Practice Guidelines Development Committee in Cleveland. Trent Petrie (chair), Anthony Kontos, Courtney Albinson, Kelli Moran-Miller, Bob Harmison, Shane Murphy and Vincent Granito.
Executive Board votes to establish a Student and Early Career Psychologists Travel Award to help travel expenses to the APA Convention.
May: Student representatives host a webinar titled "Athletes and Sexual Assault: Current and Future Practice in Prevention, Psychological Intervention and Organizational Response."
APA's Educational Directorate starts "Careers in Psychology," which is delivered via Skype in the Classroom. Vincent Granito offers "Career in Sport Psychology."
2016
Vincent Granito becomes the 22nd president.
Division gets a new logo.
Society initiates a Poster of the Year award for students and professional members at the APA Convention in Denver.
April: Student representatives host a webinar titled "So, You Want to be a Sport Psychology Professional?"
2015
Anthony Kontos becomes the 21st president.
Division 47 is awarded interdivisional grants: "Sport Hazing: Awareness, Prevention and Intervention Training" with Division 9 (Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues) and Division 16 (School Psychology).
Society endorses "Mental Health Best Practices," published by the NCAA.
Society communication is maintained through monthly eBlasts and conference calls.
Division 47 changes its name to "Society for Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology."
Executive Board votes to consolidate the Practice, Science, Education and Public Interest Committees into a Cornerstone Committee to better represent the society's focus and mission at the winter meeting held in Pittsburgh.
The society hosts its first online webinar hosted by the students, which is attended by over 150 participants.
Society initiates the Paper of the Year Award in coordination with the SEPP Journal.
Maria Kavussanu becomes the new editor of the SEPP Journal.
2014
John Heil becomes the 20th president.
Several members of the division (Chris Carr, Ken Chew, Scott Goldman and Frank Webbe) consult with the NCAA on the publishing of "Mind, Body, and Sport: Understanding and Supporting Student-Athlete Mental Wellness."
Division 47 is awarded interdivisional grants: "Exercise and Mental Health: Resources for Psychologists, Consumers and the Public" with Division 17 (Society for Counseling Psychology); Division 22 (Rehabilitation Psychology); and Division 42 (Psychologist in Independent Practice).
2013
Christine Selby becomes the 19th president.
The past presidents group is officially named Past President's Advisory Council (PPAC).
Section 2: Performance Psychology is approved by the Executive Board.
Division 47 is awarded an interdivisional grant: "A Web-Based Concussion Toolkit-A Collaborative Resource for Clinical, Research, and Legislative Efforts" with Division 19 (Society for Military Psychology); Division 22 (Rehabilitation Psychology); Division 31 (State, Provincial and Territorial Psychological Association Affairs); and Division 40 (Society for Clinical Neuropsychology).
2012
Trent Petrie becomes the 18th president.
Division 47 starts social networking sites on: Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook.
Members approve a bylaw change, which now makes the student representative position an elected member of the Executive Board, with full voting privileges.
Division 47 begins to have monthly Executive Committee conference call meetings.
Division begins to explore adding a second section on performance psychology. Kate Hays leads this project.
Division 47 celebrates its 25th anniversary at the APA Convention in Orlando with many former presidents and founding members attending the event.
2011
Gloria Balague-Dahlberg becomes the 17th president.
Division 47 starts a journal titled "Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology." Jeffrey Martin becomes the first editor.
Sport psychology proficiency is renewed until 2018.
The Practice Committee - made up of Steven Portenga (chair), Mark Aoyagi, Gloria Balague, Alex Cohen, and Bob Harmison - create a paper " Defining the Practice of Sport and Performance Psychology."
The division starts a new membership category called Affiliate, which now allows professionals and students to join the division without having to be APA members.
2010
Jennifer Carter becomes the 16th president.
Student Representatives Sherry Schweighardt and Laura DiPasquale start a speed mentoring session at the San Diego APA Convention.
2009
Michael Sachs becomes the 15th president.
Ad hoc committee on employment opportunities to explore sport psychology jobs for recent graduates.
APA publishes "Performance Psychology in Action: Casebook for Working with Athletes, Performing Artists, Business Leaders, and Professionals in High-Risk Occupations," edited by Kate Hays.
2008
Ed Acevedo becomes the 14th president.
Education Committee develops a presentation for APA TOPPS (Teaching of Psychology to Secondary Schools) to help high school psychology teachers understand our field.
Executive Board examines changing the name of the division from "Exercise and Sport Psychology" to "Sport and Exercise Psychology." This suggestion came from APA legal counsel who are concerned that the former creates a conflict with the television sports network.
Executive Board establishes an exchange lecture at the yearly convention with the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).
Division adds International Affiliates as a membership category.
A joint task force is developed between Division 47 and the Association for Applied Sport Psychology to explore possible collaboration around the proficiency and the AASP certification.
The hosting of the division website switches from University of North Texas to the APA.
Division newsletters transition to an online format.
Division newsletter is renamed "Div47News." The APA is concerned that the old name, "ESPNews," might violate copyright from the ESPN television sports network.
Executive Committee examines the possibility of developing a set of practice guidelines.
Past Presidents Committee is established.
2006
Kirsten Peterson becomes the 12th president.
The division develops a brochure titled "Supervision and Consultation in Exercise and Sport Psychology."
Executive Board meets with APA Publishing to discuss developing a division journal.
The sport psychology proficiency is given its 5-year renewal.
A task force is developed to examine the next steps for the proficiency. Task force members include: Kirsten Peterson, Chris Carr, Ed Acevedo, Ed Etzel, Diane Finley, Kate Hays and Penny McCullagh.
2005
Penny McCullagh becomes the 11th president.
Executive Board considers offering online continuing education classes for psychologists who do not have an educational background in sport psychology.
Jack Lesyk creates a knowledge and skills checklist that is based on the sport psychology proficiency from Division 47.
Executive Board considers changing the name of the division.
2004
Frank Webbe becomes the 10th president.
Division 47 renames the Distinguished Professional Award in Practice to the Bruce Ogilvie Award for Professional Practice, after Bruce Ogilvie, "the father of applied sport psychology" passed away at the age of 90 on July 13, 2003.
Division organizes the fiscal budget to align with APA policy, led by Treasurer Diane Finley.
APA publishes "You're On! Consulting for Peak Performance" by Kate Hays and Charles Brown.
2003
Judy Van Raalte becomes the ninth president.
February: APA's Council of Representatives approves "A Proficiency in Sport Psychology."
Created by Judy Van Raalte, Division 47 starts the Sport Psychology Give Away-athon, where members provide information on sport and exercise psychology to members of the community in which the APA Convention takes place.
The annual 5K "Rat Race" sponsored by the Running Psychologists is renamed "Ray's Race" after the retirement of Ray Fowler as CEO of APA. This race is the 25th-anniversary race.
2002
Division adds a membership committee to go along with the main committees of Education, Science, Practice, and Public Interest. This move is done to help increase the membership numbers that had been in decline.
2001
Kate Hays becomes the eighth president.
Division 47 give out its first Distinguished Professional Award in Education to Dan Gould.
Division 47 members approve bylaw and policy changes that include a 3-year cycle (president-elect, president, past-president) instead of the 6-year cycle that had been in place over the first 16 years.
2000
Executive committee vote to support the APA Multicultural Summit.
Division 47 gives out its first Distinguished Professional Award in Practice to Al Petitpas.
1999
Diane Gill becomes the seventh president.
Division 47 forms a task force to develop a sport psychology proficiency. The task force includes: Shane Murphy (chair), Frank Gardner, Bradley Hack, Ruth Hall, Kate Hays, Larry Alford, and Bob Miller.
APA publishes "Unification through Division: Histories of the Divisions of the American Psychological Association" (Vol. IV). Robert Swoap writes the chapter, " A History of Division 47 (Exercise and Sport Psychology)."
Division 47 gives its first Distinguished Professional Award in Science to Robert Singer.
APA publishes "Working It Out: Using Exercise in Psychotherapy" by Kate Hays.
1998
Division publishes a membership directory.
Education Committee, chaired by Judy Van Raalte, develop a brochure titled "Sport Psychology: A Guide to Choosing a Sport Psychology Professional."
1997
Shane Murphy becomes the sixth president.
Executive Committee starts discussions on creating a proficiency in sport psychology led by Kate Hays.
Executive Committee starts discussions on publishing a division journal led by Robert Singer. The proposed title is The Science and Practice of Sport Psychology.
Past Student Representative Vincent Granito and current Student Representative Chris Janelle publish an article in the APA Graduate Students Newsletter titled "Division 47, Sport and Exercise Psychology: A Symbiotic Relationship Between Science and Practice."
1996
Robert Singer forms new committees for the division that match up with the different directorates of the APA, including practice, education, public interest and science.
Division fails to regain an APA Council seat. The division forms a coalition with Division 10 (Psychology and the Arts) with Kate Hays serving as the liaison.
Division starts a website that is hosted by the University of North Texas and is monitored by Trent Petrie.
Division 47 Education Committee - made up of Karen Cogan (chair), Britt Brewer, Vincent Granito, Daniel Kirschenbaum, Rob Smith, Judy Van Raalte and Dan Weigand - publish a brochure titled "How Can a Psychologist Become a Sport Psychologist?"
APA publishes a special issue of the APA Monitor titled "The Role of Psychology in Sport and Exercise." The issue has over 25 different articles on topics in sport and exercise psychology.
APA Publishing introduce the book "Exploring Sport and Exercise Psychology," edited by Judy Van Raalte and Britt Brewer.
Division develops a new logo.
1995
Robert Singer becomes the fifth president
Executive Committee responds to the NCAA's rule change to have sport psychology consulting hours count against the coaching hour limits, and the banning of sport psychologists who work with both college and professional athletes.
Division 47 loses its seat on the APA Council of Representatives, because the member appointment fell below the acceptable proportion of votes. The division forms a coalition with Division 49 (Group Psychology and Group Psychotherapy) with Kate Hays serving as the liaison.
1994
Executive Committee establishes the Steven Heyman Memorial Lecture to honor the former president who was killed in the November 1993. William Morgan delivers the first lecture at the APA convention in Los Angeles.
Judy Van Raalte and Jean Williams revise the "Exercise and Sport Psychology: Graduate Training and Career Possibilities." The brochure is sponsored by Division 47; Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology; and the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity.
Daniel Kirschenbaum represents Division 47 at a meeting at the USOC in Colorado Springs for a U.S. Olympic Committee Sport Psychology Advisory group made up of Dan Landers, Andy Meyers, Shane Murphy, Carole Oglesby and Sean McCann.
1993
Daniel Kirschenbaum becomes the fourth president.
Albert Ellis presents an invited address for Division 47 at the APA Convention in Toronto
Michael Sachs founds that Sport Psychology Council, which allows collaboration among the leaders of the different sport psychology organizations around the world. Division 47 is included in this organization.
1992
Division newsletter is renamed ESPN, "Exercise and Sport Psychology Newsletter."
Executive Committee considers publishing convention abstracts in a special issue of the Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, published by Human Kinetic Publishers.
Division publishes 1000 copies of a brochure, "Exercise and Sport Psychology: Graduate Training and Career Possibilities."
1991
Steven Heyman becomes third president .
Division 47 sponsors a preconvention continuing education workshop at the San Francisco convention. Shane Murphy hosted the workshop titled "Sport Psychology: Performance Enhancement for Athletes."
APA creates a video titled "Careers in Psychology," which features Shane Murphy speaking about sport psychology.
Division 47 Executive Board develops an informational brochure titled "Exercise and Sport Psychology: Graduate Training and Career Possibilities," which is published in the spring newsletter.
1990
Division 47 wins its first seat on the APA Council of Representatives after receiving .55 percent apportionment votes from members. Kate Hays becomes the first representative from the division.
Division 47 co-sponsors a preconvention continuing education workshop titled "Clinical Sport Psychology: Skills for Working with Athletes," presented by Steven Heyman, Jerry May and Shane Murphy.
An ad hoc Division 47 committee is formed at the APA Convention in Boston on "Women's Issues in Exercise and Sport." Kate Hays served as the chair for this committee that was in place from 1990-1992.
1989
Division 47 presented the first Dissertation Award to John Raglin at the New Orleans APA Convention.
Chris Carr is appointed the first Student Representative at the APA convention.
Daniel Landers becomes the second president of the division.
Steven Heyman, in his role as president-elect, writes a letter to the editor of The New York Times correcting an article written on sport psychology. The article incorrectly reported that AAASP was affiliated with APA. He also provides information on who legally could identify themselves as a psychologist.
November: Steven Heyman and Richard Suinn represent Division 47, along with Bruce Ogilvie, Bob Nideffer, Hugh Armstrong, and Dave Coppel to host 25 Soviet Union Sport Psychologists at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
1988
Charles Dillman, head of the USOC's Sport Science Program, and Robert Singer, President of the International Society of Sport Psychology, deliver invited addresses at the APA conference in Atlanta.
Division 47 sponsors a preconvention continuing education workshop titled "Sport Psychology: Basic Research Techniques and Principles." Rod Dishman and Jay Kearney conduct the workshop.
1987
Running Psychologists becomes Section 1, moving from Division 38. First officers are: Irene Deitch (president), Arthur Resnikoff (secretary/treasurer), Terry DeMay (member-at-large), Kate Hays (member-at-large), Irwin Sollinger (member-at-large), Herschel Leibowitz (president-elect), Eugene Levitt (representative to the Executive Board).
First Division 47 programing under the direction of Program Chair Steven Heyman at the New York City APA Convention. Symposiums included: "Gender, Exercise, and Sport: Moving Along"; "Boxing: Medical, Psychological and Ethical Evaluations"; "Gay and Lesbian Athletes and Sport Participants: Special Issues"; "Exercise Adoption and Maintenance"; "Sport Psychology: The Next Five Years";"Health and Fitness Issues in Psychotherapy."
Michael Sachs represents Division 47 as a liaison at the 1st annual conference of the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology at Jekyll Island, GA.
1986
August 24: Item 25, the proposal to establish a division of Exercise and Sport Psychology (Division 47), is passed during the APA Council of Representatives without opposition at the APA convention in Washington, D.C.
First officers for Division 47 are named: William Morgan (president), Daniel Landers (president-elect), Steven Heyman (secretary/treasurer), Rod Dishman (member-at-large), Deborah Feltz (member-at-large).
Committee on Women & Minorities is established by Kate Hays.
Four hundred and thirty seven members in the first year.
1982
The Exercise and Sport Psychology Interest Group is formed at the APA convention in Washington, D.C. Steering committee members include: William Morgan (chair), David Brown (secretary/treasurer), Steven Heyman (newsletter editor), Rod Dishman (liaison to American College of Sports Medicine), Deborah Feltz (liaison to North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity), Eugene Levitt (liaison to Division 38), Richard Suinn (liaison, Sport Psychology Advisory Committee, U.S. Olympic Committee).
1979
First Rat Race 5K is hosted by the Running Psychologists in Central Park at the APA New York City Convention.
1978
Raymond Fowler develops and organizes Running Psychologists as a section of Society for Health Psychology (Division 38).
1974
Symposium presented at the APA convention in New Orleans by Richard Johnson, Rainer Martens, William Morgan, and Richard Suinn titled "Contemporary Sport Psychology"
Division 1 (Society for General Psychology and Interdisciplinary Inquiry) keynote address presented by William Morgan titled "Psychology of Marathon Running."
