Jim Bauman Named Sports Psychologist in Virginia Athletics Department
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CHARLOTTESVILLE-Dr. Jim Bauman, the sports psychologist in the intercollegiate athletics department at the University of Washington (Seattle, Wash.) since 2009, has been named sports psychologist in the University of Virginia athletics department. Virginia Executive Associate Director of Athletics Jon Oliver announced Bauman’s appointment on Friday (March 25).
As the sports psychologist at Washington, Bauman developed a full-service sport psychology program for 19 intercollegiate sports with approximately 700 student-athletes. The services he provided included clinical, counseling, academic, life circumstances and crisis intervention. He also developed and implemented individual and team athletic performance enhancement programs.
Bauman’s responsibilities at Virginia will include providing psychological counsel and support for student-athletes to enhance their participation and performance. In addition he will provide oversight of the sport psychology services provided within the athletics department that enhance the personal, academic and athletic success of student-athletes. He will work in collaboration with team coaches, sports medicine and athletics trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, and various internal and external constituencies.
“This is a very important position for our department and one we have talked about for at least eight years,” Oliver said. “I have personally had the opportunity to work with Jim and he is the consummate professional. He has worked with elite coaches and athletes in a number of different sports.
“Adding Jim to our staff not only provides direct services within our department, but also enhances our opportunities to interface with the University’s resources. He will interact with our student-athletes and coaches on a daily basis and I’m confident he will help them achieve their goals. We’ve created a specific office suite in the McCue Center for Jim and any support staff eventually put in place. I look forward to him joining our department later this spring.”
Bauman was the senior sports psychologist at the United States Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif., from 1999-2009, and the director of sports psychology services at Washington State University from 1994-1999. He has worked as a consultant with U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams, USA Swimming and with the Special Navy Warfare School (SEALs) at the Naval Health Research Center. He was also an instructor of doctoral level courses in sport psychology at San Diego University for Integrative Studies.
“After working at Washington State University, the U.S. Olympic Committee and the University of Washington as a sport psychologist, I am excited about joining the athletics department at the University of Virginia,” Bauman said. “Having a full-time sport psychologist in the athletics department is just now picking up momentum in major universities across the country.
“I have already had the opportunity to meet many of the administrators, coaches and support staff, as well as a few of the student-athletes, at Virginia. From those brief interactions, it has become clear to me that Virginia has a long tradition of being a very special place for student-athletes to learn and to compete at the highest levels. It is equally clear that the department and the University share the vision to take students and student-athletes to even higher levels. I am ready to roll up my sleeves and contribute to that vision. I look forward to meeting and collaborating with University and departmental staff. I am genuinely privileged to join this incredible community of talented people.”
Bauman earned his bachelor’s degree in pre-physical therapy from Eastern Washington University, his master’s in education from Sul Ross State University (Texas) and his doctorate in counseling with an emphasis in sport and performance enhancement from Washington State University.
Bauman will assume his responsibilities in the Virginia athletics department on May 23.