Who can resist getting caught up in the enthusiasm of the
Olympics, Super Bowl, or NBA playoffs? If you ask most of your
first-year students to describe Michael Jordan, Jeff Gordon, or
Serena Williams, they can do so easily. Ask the same students
about B. F. Skinner, Elizabeth Loftus, or Harry Harlow, and you
will likely get blank stares. Whereas students will stay up well
past midnight watching their favorite sports, they often feel
less driven to focus on academics. And yet, there is hope; we
can apply lessons from sport psychology to increase motivation
and excitement in the classroom. Theoretical approaches used in
sport psychology are relevant to any area in which performance
is crucial. For example, musicians in an orchestra, actors in a
production, or students enrolled in a class — all experience the
same group dynamics and issues as athletes striving for optimal
performance. The motivational techniques advocated by sport
psychologists also help to achieve the “seven principles of good
practice” develo