Using Sports Psychology to Empower Student Athletes Sports Up

Kelsey Parks Smith is the Coordinator of Programs for Student Athlete Development and Enhancement at Smith College. In this role, Kelsey develops, plans, and facilitates programming for student athletes in the areas of diversity and inclusion, mental health and wellbeing, and student leadership. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Smith College and her master’s degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology from Loughborough University. Kelsey is also a former competitive equestrian and has been riding for over 22 years.
In this episode… What role does psychology play in sports? How does a person’s gender, race, or sexuality impact their experience as an athlete? These are the questions on Kelsey Parks Smith’s mind. 
Kelsey is the Coordinator of Programs for Student Athlete Development and Enhancement at Smith College. As a former equestrian, she translated her love of riding horses into her passion for helping college athletes gain confidence and improve their performance. With a master’s degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology, Kelsey is interested in how gender, race, and sexuality impact athletes — and what she can do to empower the next generation. 
On this exciting episode of the Sports Up Podcast, Meredith Syms talks with Kelsey Parks Smith, a former competitive equestrian and the current Coordinator of Programs for Student Athlete Development and Enhancement at Smith College. Kelsey discusses her background in sports psychology, the role that gender, race, and sexuality play in athletics, and how she is working to empower female and minority college athletes. Stay tuned!