Sports psychology a natural fit for former UND athlete

Now a graduate student, Sydney Raboin is exploring how psychological interventions can help athletes perform

By: Michaela Richards 

A UND instructor for kinesiology, advisor, student athlete, assistant coach intern, Graduate Research Assistant, Graduate Teaching Assistant, and PhD candidate, Sydney Raboin has multiple achievements under her belt from her time at UND.

“There are so many ways that UND’s Graduate School has supported my research journey and prepared me for my future career,” Raboin said. “It has provided me with the resources and equipped me with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to conduct research.”

For example, Raboin has personally or collaboratively presented at nine educational conferences, in both talk and poster formats, she said.

Moreover, as a former student athlete, Raboin in her research has explored how psychological and psychotherapeutic interventions can help athletes with their performance and overall wellbeing.

Sports psychology research

At UND, Raboin is “Advanced to Candidacy” PhD student/doctoral candidate in Education, Health, and Behavior Studies with a Kinesiology specialization. She has an undergraduate degree in Teacher Education and minors in Psychology and Middle Level Education. She has also has a master of science in Kinesiology and received graduate certificates in Sports Leadership, Health and Wellness Coaching, and Qualitative Inquiry Methods. She is working on obtaining national certification for Health and Wellness Coaching as well.   

She has done research in sports psychology, which covers general mental wellness in athletes, performance enhancement, and the presence and management of mental health disorders.

“Research on OCD in athletes is lacking, so that inspired me to explore this topic in greater detail for my dissertation,” said Raboin when asked about what led her to this research. “I have spent a lot of time on the topic of anxiety in athletes, especially OCD. Sports psychology topics like these highlight the mind-body connection and the vital role that the mind plays in performing one’s best.”

Raboin explains that therapeutic practices like cognitive behavioral therapy can support overall wellbeing and performance by encouraging greater psychological and physiological control through emotion regulation, mindfulness, attention, mental toughness, self-efficacy, self-confidence, symptom management, and more.

Raboin’s first publication was written with single authorship in the Journal of Imagery Research in Sport and Physical Activity (JIRSPA) and was titled, “Visualizing victory: The role of imagery in empowering athletes batting obsessive compulsive disorder.” She also later went on to serve as a manuscript reviewer for this journal as well.

Along with her dissertation that she hopes to publish, she is also collaborating on another study within the sports psychology realm and plans to assist with publishing those findings.

“Sydney is persistent and thoughtful, and she asks questions until she has a clear and meaningful understanding,” said Sandra Moritz, professor of Kinesiology and Public Health Education and associate chair of Education, Health, and Behavior Studies.

“She is an exceptional student who brings a high level of attention to detail and care to everything she does. She takes ownership of her path and advocates for herself in ways that reflect her commitment and drive.

“It has truly been a pleasure working with her at UND.”

Sports background 

As an undergraduate, Raboin competed in Women’s Cross Country and Track and Field for UND. She represented UND in competitions including the Big Sky Conference Cross Country Championship, UND’s inaugural Summit League Cross Country Championship and the NCAA Midwest Regional Cross Country Championships. She was also named to the All-Academic team and Athletics honor rolls.

She also held an internship as assistant coach, which offered her a new lens in athletics.

Project CuRRENT

These days, Raboin is in her third year as a graduate research assistant for Project CuRRENT (Culturally Relevant River Education for Nature-based Teaching). The project represents a partnership with Turtle Mountain College in Belcourt, N.D., and the International Water Institute.

Raboin was the first author on a piece about Project CuRRENT, titled “Watersheds as Place: Integrating Biocultural Awareness and Experiential Place-based Professional Development,” published in Climate Literacy in Education. She is also first author on another piece titled, “Weaving Indigenous Teachings into Place-Based Learning: Pathways to Exploring Identity and Interconnectedness Across STEAM,” which is currently in the process of becoming a chapter in a book.

“We’re looking at helping teachers bring Indigenous values, understandings and ways of learning into the STEM curriculum in their classrooms,” said Raboin’s supervisor and dissertation-committee member, Julie Robinson. Robinson is also an assistant professor of Teaching & Leadership and director of UND’s Center for Engineering Education Research.

What’s next? 

Each year at UND, the College of Education and Human Development honors a student by awarding him or her the Inspire award for Graduate Student Excellence in Research: Last month, this year’s award went to Raboin.

Raboin is now in her last year towards earning her PhD. She is also currently an instructor for a kinesiology course and a research assistant.

“UND has always been my top choice, and I am grateful for the various roles that I have had at the university over the years,” she said. “I am eager to continue contributing to the field of research, with the genuine desire to support the wellbeing of others and growth of society, however big or small my contributions may be.”

About the author:

Michaela Richards is a journalism and visual-arts major at UND.