When colleagues first hear about the APsaA Discussion Group on Psychoanalysis and Sport, which has been running for many years at APsaA meetings, they often respond with a puzzled look. I assume that this reaction stems from the impression that “psychoanalysis” and “sport” don't seem to belong in the same sentence; perhaps these colleagues assume that the Discussion Group on Psychoanalysis and Sport is just a venue for jocks, former jocks, and sports fans within APsaA to get together to schmooze. I must admit that the group does serve that function—but it is also much more. Consider the following topics, all of which have been a focus of earnest and lively discussion in recent years: What is the role of athletic competition and physical competence in normal and pathological development? How do psychodynamic conflicts affect the performances of individual athletes and teams? What is the psychodynamic meaning of being a passionate sports fan? How can we understand the deep importance and persistent place of sport in most human cultures?
The discussion group has been ongoing for many years. Originally developed by Sandy Abend, Bob Pyles, Howard Katz, and others, the group has evolved over time and is currently coordinated by Katz, Dick Roskos, and me. Finding topics for our meetings and presenters has been surprisingly easy. First of all, several members of APsaA have served as mental health and/or performance consultants to a number of professional teams in football, baseball, basketball, and hockey. (We have had some of these members present to the group; their stories are just as fascinating as one would imagine.) In addition to consulting to individual athletes and teams, numerous members of APsaA have written and spoken on topics related to sport, performance, and the role of athletics in individual and cultural lives. A partial list of some of the recent presentations to our group includes the following:
Joshua Ehrlich, “The Psychology of the Sports Fan: What Can Psychoanalysts Add to the Conversation”
Howard Katz, “Escaping Gravity: Movie Magic and Dreams of Flying”
Paula Hamm, “Gender Conflicts in an Elite Tennis Player”
Irwin Hirsch, “Sport as a Vehicle for Unconscious Homoerotic Bonding among Men”
Julie Nagel and James Hansell, “Relationships between Athletic and Musical Performance”
Deborah Barchat, “Two Cases of Oedipal Conflicts Inhibiting Athletic Performance”
Howard Katz, “The Athlete's Dream”
This list highlights the wide range of clinically relevant and vital topics that have captured the interest of those attending the discussion group in recent years. Our discussion group is quite informal and we welcome newcomers and anyone curious and interested in the psychology of sport and performance.
James Hansell, Ph.D., is lecturer in psychology at the University of Michigan and director, philosophy of science in clinical psychology lab. He is a training and supervising analyst, Michigan Psychoanalytic Institute, and co-chairs APsaA's “Psychoanalysis and Sport” discussion group.