Rebecca Foti

Why FSU?

FSU was always my top choice for pursuing my PhD in Sport Psychology, so I was elated to be accepted. My draw to the university stems from the diverse range of experiences offered, as well as the diverse faculty and student life that comes along with that. As a doctoral student, I have been able to complete research under esteemed faculty researchers, conduct applied consulting work with local Tallahassee sport programs, participate in professional development through programs such as the Program for Instructional Excellence, and attend and present research internationally such as at the 16th Congress of the European Federation of Sport Psychology in Padova, Italy. These accomplishments have been in addition to learning the fundamental knowledge necessarily in my field of sport psychology, the experience of working closely as a graduate assistant to Dr. Svenja Wolf to improve my teaching and instructional practices, and while being surrounded by a bustling master's program that provides further peer collaboration. FSU therefore was my selected graduate school because it provided the opportunity for a holistic and well rounded education that allows for my development as a strong evidence-based practitioner and aspiring future faculty member.

Motivation to pursue a graduate degree

Getting a graduate degree was always something quite important to me. When asked what my "why" is or what motivates me, my answer is always that I enjoy learning new information and then sharing that information with others. I always knew that I wanted to receive a doctoral education so that I could not only improve the insight I had, but also could use this degree to move into a faculty role in which I can help continue knowledge generation and information sharing. I had also maintained roles in which I could follow along this path in the past, such as through coaching, being an adjunct faculty member, academic advising, etc., so graduate school was the next step in this progression to allow me to learn and disseminate information at a high level.

Importance and/or impact of research and work

My research focuses primarily on the emotions and emotion regulation that occurs within team sports. More specifically, I strive to understand the emotions athletes experience during competition, how they try to help themselves and their partner either experience or change the emotions they are having (depending on if they are having a positive or negative impact), and how that might impact the team dynamic. This research is quite important because emotions are a natural part of sport, and life for that matter, but the ability to regulate emotions can be either a make-or-break moment. This ability is not only important for athletes, but also for performers such as musicians, military, and organizational members. Therefore, my work is striving to allow individuals to understand more about how they experience and navigate their emotions so that they can be successful, particularly in group spaces where teammates can impact one another. This work also highlights that emotions are not something to be avoided, which is perhaps something many have heard through various outlets, but rather that emotions are a valuable part of the game, performance, and competition if regulated.

Career aspirations

My main career aspiration is to obtain a role as a full-time faculty member. As I have alluded to, I see education as a vital part of both my own life and those around me to allow us to keep moving forward and progressing as a society. As such, I strive to be in a role where I can not only continue to produce knowledge through research, but also guide and direct the generations behind me to achieve their goals and continue on their own educational and career paths. However, alongside this primary goal, I also have a desire to maintain some consulting work with athletes on the side, perhaps in a part-time position to allow for the "best of both worlds" in which I can still instruct in an educational sense as well as supporting mental skills and athlete development.

Advice for anyone considering graduate school

For anyone considering graduate school, I think it is really important to consider what your goals and aspirations are and that the school you select aligns. Graduate school is challenging and there are times where it's easy to feel overwhelmed. However, it becomes really rewarding when you see yourself progress either professionally in the knowledge you have or though having a positive impact on someone else. In order to get to that point, there are likely a number of long hours that have gone into it. All that is to say, be sure that you understand what your goals are, why you are pursuing a graduate degree in line with those goals, and how the degree will help you get there, and all of the hard work will be worth it and you will feel handsomely rewarded.

Accomplishments during graduate career

I presented at an international conference in Padova, Italy. I also received the Alumni Association Student Professional Development Travel Scholarship (2022).