Greetings fellow Div. 47 members! It has been a busy few months for the executive committee. We have been working on a number of projects and initiatives on behalf of the membership including becoming an APA-approved continuing education (CE) sponsor, developing the mentorship program, refining the professional practice guidelines, and creating the convention program.
First off, we have completed and submitted the application to become an APA-approved sponsor of CE credit. We took the initiative based on the feedback from our member survey requesting greater opportunities to stay up to date on the latest issues and interventions in our field. Once we receive approval from APA, we will begin to offer CE’s for our very popular webinar series. APA’s application is quite lengthy and complex, so a BIG thank you to Shane Murphy, PhD, for all of his efforts to complete the application in a timely manner. As part of the approval requirements that APA has established, we have created a new position on the Executive Committee—continuing education coordinator—that will administer the CE programs for the division. Jessica Bartley, PsyD, has been appointed to this three-year position and we have the utmost confidence that she will do an excellent job! Thanks, Jessica, for stepping up for our field!
Secondly, we are in the final stages of development of the mentorship program. This initiative will be focused on matching early career professionals (ECP) with established professionals in the field to provide them with guidance and support as they leave the nest of graduate school and embark on their careers. Once the program materials are approved by the APA legal department, we will announce the launch of the program on the Div. 47 listserv. Keep your eyes open and please consider participating in the program as either a mentor or mentee!
Third, we continue to work on creating the professional practice guidelines for sport psychology. We have identified a number of core competencies and continue to build the scientific rationale for each competency. This project is also quite time consuming and is very important for the field. As such, we will be appointing additional members to the committee to help with the work load.
Fourth, Program Chairs Jessica Bartley, PsyD, and Dolores Christensen, PsyD, have developed a wonderful program for convention in Chicago. It sports a great mix of skill-building sessions, in-depth symposia on hot topics, and the latest research. We would love to see you at convention so please register early! Chicago is awesome in the summer!
Finally, we have identified a fantastic slate of candidates for the upcoming division elections. The Executive Committee positions that will be voted on are: president-elect (Jamie Shapiro, PhD), secretary/treasurer (Trevor Richardson, PhD and Julie Vieselmeyer, PhD), junior member-at-large (Amanda Visek PhD, and Shameema Yousef, MBACP, MBPsS) and junior student representative (Chelsi Battle, BS, and Jeff Ruser, MA).
Please watch your inbox for the email from APA inviting you to vote!