Making Judgements Without Judging
One of the biggest challenges I faced during my training was learning to make judgements. And no, not the kind that involves forming opinions about people but the kind that comes with professional responsibility. At this level, and especially beyond it, the work becomes far more independent. There’s guidance, yes, but the final decisions rest on you.
You’re the one who has to decide what’s right or wrong, what’s too much or too little. This becomes especially clear in applied assignments like role-playing an athlete session or developing a case formulation. Suddenly, you’re making real decisions: When do I probe? Should I challenge that? Is this enough to constitute a working diagnosis? How do I interpret what they’ve just said? And there are no perfect answers, just informed judgements.
What makes it even harder is the individuality of the people we work with. Two athletes may present with what seems like the same issue, but they’ll likely need two very different approaches. Judging what’s appropriate for each person is complex, and I expect it’ll remain a challenge until I gain more hands-on experience.
So, how do we get better at this?
Read. Listen. Practice.
Read
Read the core texts and then go further. Seek out research articles, practitioner accounts, blog posts, books outside the syllabus. You’re not the first to face these challenges, and the information is out there if you’re willing to look.
This course made me read more than I ever had at any previous level of education and for three reasons:
A) I was genuinely interested
B) I wanted to be good at my job
C) I knew the answers wouldn’t fall into my lap
I’m still far from being an expert, very far. But every bit I’ve read has helped me take a step closer to making more informed, more confident decisions.
Listen
Listen to your lecturers, their stories, their clients, the hurdles they’ve overcome. These insights are gold.
Listen to your peers, both the questions they ask and the experiences they share. Often, someone else will ask something you’ve been thinking but haven’t voiced. Or they’ll say something you hadn’t even considered.
And don’t forget, many of your peers are current or former athletes. Their lived experience can massively enrich your understanding of athlete psychology and the realities of performance environments. Sometimes, the best insights come from casual conversations, not textbooks.
Practice
This one goes without saying. Practice is the best teacher. But as many of us know, breaking into applied work is tough. Most roles require experience, yet won’t give you experience without… well, experience.
Your early work may be unpaid or voluntary. Even that can be hard to come by. Clubs or organisations might not have the time, supervision resources, or interest to take someone on. You may send ten emails and get zero replies. Keep going.
Voluntary work is your foot in the door, your chance to apply what you’ve learned and build credibility. It’s not glamorous, but it’s essential.
Back to Basics
Sure, it all sounds obvious, of course you’re going to read and listen. But there’s a big difference between passively consuming information and truly engaging with it.
Reading and listening is only useful if you actually take it in, reflect on it, and apply it. Being honest about your strengths and weaknesses-and actively working on them-separates those who grow from those who simply go through the motions.
Everyone gets access to the same lectures and the same book list. It’s what you do beyond that that sets you apart.
The Good News
Practicing your craft doesn’t only happen through formal, long-term placements. There are so many other ways to build your experience.
You might help deliver a one-off workshop for a school, college, or academy. You could observe training sessions or matches. Contact local teams or university sports clubs to see what’s available. Shadow a sport psych. Every opportunity counts.
In hindsight, I didn’t take advantage of as many of these opportunities as I could have and I now see how valuable they would’ve been. Not every experience needs to be perfect or long-term. Each one adds something to your toolkit.
Making sound judgements is a skill and one that develops over time, through a mix of learning, listening, and real-life experience. No two athletes or sessions will be the same, but by building a diverse bank of knowledge and experience, you’ll start to make decisions with more confidence and precision.
Be proactive. Be curious. Be reflective.
And most importantly…trust your instincts as they evolve.
Written by Natasha Bains
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