WOMENS PLACE IN THE HISTORY OF SPORT PSYCHOLOGY

Women and women's issues have a place in sport psychology today, but w omen have no place in most histories of the field. Some women sport ps ychologists, particularly Dorothy Harris, were instrumental in the dev elopment of sport psychology as a subdiscipline in the 1960s and 1970s . Re-searching the historical foundations reveals that the notable con tributions of Harris and other women sport psychologists have roots in earlier work in both psychology and physical education. Pioneering wo men psychologists conducted research and challenged sexist assumptions and practices since psychology's earliest days. At the same time, pro minent women leaders developed women-oriented programs and contributed to the professional literature in physical education. Women and women 's issues have a place in sport psychology today, but too often that i s an ''other'' or special interest place. By taking steps to re-place women in history and by engendering current research and practice, spo rt and exercise psychology will be a stronger science and profession.