The Transition of an Applied Sport Psychology Training Program at a U.S. University From a Face-to-Face to a Virtual Mode: An Autoethnographic Case Study

Abstract

We studied the transition of an applied sport psychology training program at a public U.S. university from a face-to-face mode to a virtual mode in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to identify challenges of this transition for supervisors and student consultants and best practices for virtual consultancy. This autoethnographic case study involved interviews with three program supervisors, ten student consultants, and one college coach. We also examined researcher observations and lived experiences during the transition. A blended ethnographic and codebook thematic analysis was undertaken. We identified two superordinate challenges: (a) program challenges and (b) consulting challenges. We also identified three superordinate best practices: (a) supervisor best practices, (b) student consultant best practices, and (c) best practices in sport psychology delivery. These findings can usefully inform efforts by individual consultants and applied programs at universities to adopt virtual modes of consultancy.