Hi Parents,
My name is Stephanie Keller and I will be working with Wildcard gymnastics completing my final internship for my Masters in Sport Psychology. I am currently working towards my degree online through JFK University in California. I have completed two other internships during my time at JFKU, one with youth soccer players and incarcerated youth in California, and one with the varsity girls basketball program at Sussex Hamilton High School. I am very excited to start working with your kids this summer!
My internship includes three things: observing your kids during practice and competition (so you will see me sitting in the gym taking notes and observing – feel free to come say hi!), working with them as a team in team sessions, and working with them individually in one-on-one sessions. Team sessions will be 30-45 minutes and done at the gym, most likely in the party room if it is available. I will get a schedule out with those dates and times ASAP so you can put them on your calendars. Individual sessions will be scheduled for about 30-45 minutes a session when it is convenient for your child to meet with me and you will schedule those meetings with me directly. Again, we can use the party room to complete these sessions or we can decide on an outside location for these meetings. There is no need for you to be there during the sessions so you can drop off and pick up before and after. Every session that I complete with your children will be recorded with an audio or video camera to be watched only by me and my internship advisor.
The things that we will be working on in team and individual sessions really depend on what the team and your kids need to work on. Common topics include: team building, communication, focus, goal setting, confidence building, motivation, attitude, energy management and anxiety control, just to name a few. Again, I will cater my lessons and what I work on with your kids to what they need the most. For example, my basketball team had a lot of issues occurring with their communication during defense in games. A lot of our sessions were spent on that skill and improving that part of their game and by the end of the season we saw extreme improvement in their communication on the court.
Attached is an informed consent form that needs to be signed by all the parents for me to be able to start work with your team. Please read it carefully and sign (no virtual signatures are allowed) and if you have any questions do not hesitate to ask. I officially start with the team today (Monday, June 11th) and can start working with gymnasts as soon as I have your forms. To schedule individual sessions with me you can contact me directly and we can set something up! Just remember – this is most likely the only time that your kids will have access to FREE sport psychology training, so I encourage you to take advantage of my work!
Feel free to call, text, or e-mail me with ANY questions and I will get back to you ASAP! I look forward to working with you and your children!
Thank you,
Stephanie Keller
262-442-2648
BELOW IS A COPY OF THE INFORMED CONSENT LETTER: COPIES ARE AVAILABLE AT THE FRONT DESK OF THE GYM
SPORT PSYCHOLOGY PROGRAM INTERNSHIP
INFORMED CONSENT
I, _____________________________________, hereby give my permission to
(Athlete-Client)
___Stephanie Keller_________________________, a Sport Psychology Master’s Degree Student at
(Student-Intern)
John F. Kennedy University, College of Psychology, to apply his or her knowledge of the theories, research and techniques in the field of Sport Psychology. The application of this knowledge is viewed primarily as an educational enterprise. This may include:
- Teaching participants specific performance enhancement skills for application in sport, exercise, and other contexts. Examples of techniques include relaxation, concentration, imagery, positive self-talk, and centering.
- Within performance settings, helping participants understand, measure, and improve elements of their performance through strategies such as goal setting, etc.
- Educating teams, organizations and groups on topics such as communication, leadership and team cohesion.
Sessions will generally take place at the training facility; in the event that the training facility is unavailable, a mutually agreed-upon location (between parent/guardian, client, and student-intern) will be used. Additionally, contact with the client may be done via phone, email, and text.
Confidentiality
It is understood that the student-intern will keep all sessions confidential, but in the event the client is to potentially cause harm to oneself or another, or there are signs of abuse (e.g., child abuse, elder abuse), the JFKU Sport Psychology Program (SPP) requires that the student-intern break confidentiality by informing the appropriate school officials, primary site contact, or other necessary professional. In addition, if the student-intern suspects habitual substance abuse, this may be grounds to break confidentiality. In the event something arises outside the student-intern’s scope of practice, a referral will be made to the client to see the school psychologist, counselor (or similar school or outside resource), or if not at a school site, to an outside professional referral. The student-intern has permission to follow up with the person the client was referred to ensure that the client has made contact with the appropriate resource. When working with minors, the student-intern may also encourage the client to share with his/her parents or guardian they have been referred to another professional resource; and, in some instances the student-intern may also break confidentiality and tell the parent/guardian about a referral if the student-intern feels this is appropriate (i.e., in the best interest of the client).
It is also understood the (SPP) student-intern reports to their supervisor and Group Supervision instructor information gained through work with this team, athlete or organization. The Fieldwork Directors will oversee all of this student-intern’s work. The student-intern’s supervisor and/or Fieldwork Directors when possible may typically make at least one site visit. The SPP also requires the student-intern audio and/or video record work performed. These recordings are for training purposes only and will only be used in supervision meetings and/or Group Supervision seminar class.
_____________________________________________ _______________________
Sport Psychology Program Student-Intern Signature Date
_________________________________________________ _______________________
Signature of Client Date
_________________________________________________ _______________________
Signature of Parent/Guardian (If client is under the age of 18) Date
_________________________________________________ _______________________
