MTSU’s Department of Social Work is launching a graduate certificate in sport social work.
The program addresses the mental health and social service needs of athletes, an area that has grown in visibility across college and professional sports but has few formalized training pathways for social workers.
Sport social work is distinct from sport psychology in its scope. Where sport psychology focuses primarily on performance and cognition, sport social work addresses the full context of an athlete’s life: relationships, identity, financial stress, transitions out of competition, and access to care.
“We look at the whole total health from a mental aspect to support the athlete overall, because they are a very vulnerable population,” said Dr. Justin Singleton, lecturer in the Department of Social Work and lead faculty for the certificate.
Kobi Jones, a graduate student in social work, is the first student in the program. She currently interns with the Student-Athlete Enhancement Center, working with freshman football players.
“The most valuable thing I’ve learned is how much pressure the athletes put on themselves,” Jones said. “You got to give it time.”
