The Today s Soccer Big West Conference Championship Game...

The live sporting event that I chose to observe was the 2015 Woman’s Soccer Big West Conference championship game with Cal State Fullerton competing against Cal State Long Beach. The game took place on Sunday, November 8th at 1:00pm at Cal State Fullerton. This game is significant because it determines who wins the Big West and who qualifies for the NCAA tournament, so pressure on the players and intensity are very high. Throughout the game, I observed the game as a sport psychologist professional and observed the player’s and coach’s behaviors that relate to Sport Psychology. The three sport psychology concepts that were interpreted during the soccer match were: situational awareness, arousal regulation strategies, and reinforcements. One†¦show more content†¦The player’s situational awareness has a huge impact on the ball movement because they know where each player will be during certain situations and are able to make quick decisions under pressure, thus moving the ball more efficiently. Another observation that portrays situational awareness was when the goalie of Cal State Fullerton predicted where the ball was going to be kicked during the attempted score of a Long Beach State player. Instead of waiting for the opponent to kick the ball and then reacting, the goalie predicted where the ball was going to travel and jumped as the opponent was making the kick to deflect the ball. According to Weinberg and Gould, athletes who have good situational awareness, â€Å"always make it seem as if they are a step ahead of everyone else.† The goalie was able assess the situation quickly and stay a move ahead of her opponent because she had been in this situation in the past. Her situational awarene ss gave her a competitive edge, allowed her to make the appropriate decision, and prevented Long Beach State from scoring any points. The second concept of sport psychology displayed during the soccer game was the use of arousal regulation strategies. Arousal regulation strategies are methods that either increase or decrease arousal levels of a person (Weinberg Gould, 2011). It is crucial for athletes to be aware of their psychological states so they can