Elite coaches undertake intense emotional labor to navigate their high-stakes professional environment. Yet, little is known about emotional inducers (i.e.: situational cues triggering emotions in the situation experienced). This research aimed to analyze the inducers of an elite handball coach's emotional experience during a season abroad, which was suspended following the lockdown linked to the Covid-19 pandemic. From a situational psychological approach, we collected one weekly critical incident experienced by the coach. Interviews carried out after each period in the season allowed the coach to develop his explanation of the critical incidents experienced. Based on an inductive qualitative approach, six categories of positive inducers (e.g., relationship with the players) and four categories of negative inducers (e.g., relationship with managers) were highlighted through a validated data analysis process. Four stages in the coach's experience came to light (congruence, compensation, transformation, and break). These results emphasize the importance of considering the broader contextual factors-particularly the social system surrounding the coach-when examining emotions in elite sport coaching.
Crafting Identity: How Youth Athletes Navigate Borders and Find Their Place in China's Sport-Education System (Part 1) Employing an Eastern adaptation of a constructivist grounded theory, our authors investigated identity construction during youth athletes' specialization transition within China's sport-education system, defined by an institutional sport-education divide where athletic and academic demands conflict. Data were derived from interviews with four school-team coaches, all graduates of professional sports universities, who provided institutional and developmental perspectives, six school team athletes (aged 11-13 years, M = 12.33) offering developmental insights as elite sports reserves, and two elite athletes (aged 18 and 26, competing at national and international levels) representing high-performance experiences. This article (Part 1) was conceived to elaborate on the theoretical and methodological foundations of our inquiry, proposing an Eastern relational framework that advances the understanding of identity construction in constrained systems. The empirical findings and culturally informed support strategies arising from this framework will be presented in a subsequent article (Part 2).
Self-confidence is an important psychological factor in sports performance; yet its variations across competitive situations remain underexplored. This study investigated confidence formation in university soccer players in three game situations: pre-match, in-game, and post-match. Interviews with 20 players revealed significant antecedents to self-confidence (e.g., preparation, perceived social support, perceived competence, psychological strategy, vicarious experiences, and rituals and routines). The findings reveal that confidence is highly dynamic, with various influencing factors across competitive situations. Pre-match confidence was built upon preparation and anticipatory psychological strategies, whereas in-game confidence was determined by real-time performance, team dynamics, and reinforcement. Post-match confidence was influenced by performance reflection, feedback, and self-evaluation. These findings highlight the importance of phase-specific confidence-building strategies, providing theoretical contributions to the field of confidence development and practical implications for coaches, sport psychologists, and athlete development programs to optimize psychological interventions and thereby enhance performance in competitive soccer.
This study examines the subjective experiences, identification, and use of self-regulation strategies to optimise performance within the framework of multi-states (MuSt) theory. Participants were male ice hockey players competing at the highest level in Finland. Players (N = 20, Mage = 22.5) took part in an initial assessment of feeling states and core action components in relation to previous optimal and suboptimal performances, and self-efficacy in hockey-related strengths. Ten of them completed an intervention and assessment in four competition games, and took part in post-game evaluations involving awareness of their feeling states and effectiveness of the intervention. According to MuSt theory assumptions, results indicated that psychobiosocial states and core action components discriminated between optimal and suboptimal performances. Additionally, participants perceived the intervention as useful and effective in increasing awareness of own functional and dysfunctional feeling states related to their performance.
This study aims to contribute to the existing body of research by providing data on the prevalence of psychological strain in a sample of amateur sports. Psychological strain was assessed in 359 Spanish amateur athletes using the APSQ. The mean APSQ score was 19.6 +/- 5.2, comparable to scores reported in elite athlete. Overall, 47.6% of participants reported high stress levels, and 23.1% reported very high stress. High distress was more frequent in women, while very high distress was more prevalent in men. Athletes involved in team sports reported higher levels of distress than those in individual sports. Very high stress was significantly more common among athletes who had sustained recent sports injuries. A linear regression analysis identified younger age and recent injury as significant predictors of psychological strain. These findings underscore the high prevalence of psychological strain among amateur athletes, with younger age and recent injuries emerging as key contributing factors.
In light of the limited research revolving around interpersonal environments and coaches' wellbeing, this study aimed to explore the associations between psychological safety, interpersonal trust and flourishing among coaches operating in artistic gymnastics. A total of 53 gymnastic coaches participated and completed a multi-section questionnaire to measure coaches' perceptions of psychological safety and interpersonal trust within a coach-athlete relationship, as well as perceptions of personal flourishing. Employing structural equation modelling, it was found that coaches who feel psychologically safe with a designated athlete and trust that athlete are more likely to experience high levels of personal flourishing reflected in a rewarding, meaningful and optimistic life. It was revealed that a coach's perceptions of psychological safety increase their personal flourishing, when trust in the athlete is strong. Quality coach-athlete relationships where trust is high, plays an integral role in the interpersonal exchanges necessary for coaches to perceive they are psychologically safe to express freely themselves within the context of the dyadic coach-athlete relationship; this experience, in turn, increases coaches' flourishing. This study adds to the growing evidence that demonstrate the contributions psychological safety and quality relationships make to the creation of environments that benefit coaches and athletes alike. Importantly, it highlights the power of the interpersonal environment to coaches' personal outcomes. The discussion provides links between theory, research and practice.
There is agreement among athletes, coaches, and sport researchers that leadership is one of the most significant factors when performing and operating in elite sport. There is, however, a lack of understanding of how the behaviors of coaches as leaders could be considered as destructive. The aim of this study was to explore elite sport athletes' perceptions and experiences of destructive coach leadership behavior. Informants in this study were a convenience sample of eight (four female and four males) current or former World Class/international elite athletes in handball and soccer, with an average of 12 years of experience at elite level. Using semi-structured interviews and conducting a reflective thematic analysis we identified three main categories of perceived destructive leadership behavior from the coaches described as: Active Destructive Behaviors; Passive Destructive Behaviors, and Incompetent Coach Behaviors. Recognizing these behaviors is the firststep in attempting to eradicate them.
Though researchers have examined the efficacy of resilience interventions in professional athletes, there is a dearth of research focusing on athletes who comexperience significant stressors yet often underutilize mental health resources available to them. To this end, the current work presents findings from an exploratory study testing the effectiveness of a 12-week resilience intervention in a sample of 40 NCAA Division I athletes from various sports with freshmen, Caucasian, and women making a majority of the sample. Following the intervention, participants' overall resilience scores significantly increased. Additionally, athletes were significantly more likely to seek instrumental support from others (e.g., family, friends, teammates) as a coping mechanism. These findings warrant further empirical research to test the utility of similar interventions in enhancing not only athlete wellness and performance, but also promoting help-seeking behaviors, which may be critical towards dismantling the mental health stigma within this population.
This study explores the experiences and perceptions of elite Taekwondo athletes during nonsurgical rehabilitation following knee injuries. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 30 athletes aged >= 16 years who had sustained knee injuries (ACL, PCL, medial, and lateral collateral ligaments) between 2020 and 2024, employing a qualitative study design. Thematic analysis, guided by qualitative reporting standards, revealed four key themes: "Support for Rehabilitation and Return to Sport," "Strategies for a Safe Return," "Rehabilitation as a Worthwhile Path," and "Re-injury or New Injuries Are Beyond Our Control." Athletes reported fluctuating emotions, varying levels of confidence, and complex risk appraisals regarding return to sport. Fear, both as a barrier and a motivator, emerged as a central experience throughout the rehabilitation process. These findings could enhance rehabilitation programs for elite athletes, with active involvement from coaches and therapists in each case to improve return-to-sport outcomes and reduce the risk of relapse.
The development of motor competence is critical for a child's holistic development and engagement in physical activity across the lifespan. As physical education becomes more marginalised in school settings, efforts are needed to enhance the quality of movement skill learning environments. One such approach is through the optimisation of task design, instruction and feedback which engages learners in key attentional (external focus of attention) and motivational (enhanced expectancies and autonomy support) processes. This paper aims to provide practical examples of how these key attentional and motivational factors can be applied by teachers in physical education lessons to optimise the learning of motor skills and motivation to create a physically literate learner.
This study investigated the relationships between goal difficulty, goal commitment, and sport imagery ability using a bifactor model for the Japanese cultural concept of ganbaru across different competitive levels. Eight hundred Japanese collegiate athletes competing at local, regional, national, and international levels participated in the study. The results indicated that goal difficulty did not vary across competitive levels, whereas goal commitment and four types of imagery ability (skill, strategy, goal, and mastery imagery) showed significant differences. The bifactor analysis using structural equation modelling revealed different patterns across competitive levels. These findings suggest that while goal difficulty may hinder imagery generation, goal commitment contributes significantly to imagery ability, particularly at the international level. Moreover, ganbaru appears to influence imagery ability at lower and intermediate levels of competition (local, regional and national). Thus, athletes' roles of goal difficulty and commitment influence imagery generation, and cultural background can have a significant impact.
Virtual reality (VR) provides a simulated environment where soccer players can actively engage in lifelike scenarios potentially enhancing their performance (e.g., tactical awareness). The integration of VR technology into training has grown significant in recent years, driven by its immersive and versatile nature. Practitioners often claim that VR improves players' perception skills, such as visual exploratory activity (VEA). VEA is an active head movement where a player's face is temporarily directed away from the ball to gather information in preparation for subsequently engaging with the ball. It was studied to be an indicator for elite players and successful performance, especially for passing. However, the current literature presents limited studies on this topic. Therefore, this brief report explored, via a narrative review, several potential ways in which VR could be examined to determine its effectiveness in enhancing VEA in soccer players and, consequently, their performance (e.g., passing).
This study examined the effects of an 8-week PETTLEP-assisted biofeedback (BFB) training program on physiological parameters, cognitive performance, and serve accuracy in female volleyball players. Fourteen athletes were randomly assigned to an experimental group (EG) and a control group (CG). The EG underwent an 8-week PETTLEP-assisted BFB training. Participants completed pre-and post-training physiological (e.g., Nexus 10 BFB device), cognitive (e.g., Stroop test), and overhand serve accuracy assessments. Results showed a positive effect of the training on skin temperature, frontalis muscle activity, Stroop effect, and serve accuracy in the EG from pre-to post training. Moreover, significant between-group differences were observed in skin temperature and service accuracy after training. These results suggest that PETTLEP-assisted BFB training is a promising tool for fostering physiological, cognitive, and sport-specific improvement in female volleyball players. Future studies should recruit athletes from other sports disciplines to generalize the results to other athletic populations.
Extant studies have examined the impact of criticism on psychiatric symptomology in athletes. Further, the direct impact of criticism on athletes' mental health has yet to be explored while considering sociocultural factors. The current study sought to examine the influence of self-criticism and teammate-criticism during training and competition on psychiatric symptoms in 131 NCAA athletes. Participants were administered the Sport Interference Checklist (SIC; Donohue et al., 2007) to examine criticism of self and teammates during competition and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R; Derogatis, 1994) to examine severity of psychiatric symptoms. Linear Regression showed increased self-criticism (p <.001) and criticism of teammates (p <.05) predicted increased severity of psychopathology. Moderation analyses examining ethnicity suggested psychiatric symptoms in athletes of the global majority are more negatively impacted by self-criticism than White athletes. Gender and age did not moderate the relationship between criticism and psychiatric symptoms.
Interoceptive awareness may play an important role in self-regulation of physical exertion. This study investigated pacing strategies in endurance running among college students and explored the relationship between running performance and individual differences in interoceptive awareness. Participants completed an 800m time trial, and interoceptive awareness was assessed using the Japanese version of the 32-item Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA). The 800m time was subjected to a two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance, including the factors "lap" and "group". Pearson's correlation analysis was used to examine the relationship between 800m time and MAIA scores. Results indicated that the higher-performing group adopted a positive pacing strategy, characterized by a gradual deceleration after 400m. Furthermore, faster 800m times were associated with higher scores in Attention Regulation, Emotional Awareness, Self-Regulation, and Trusting scores. These findings support the notion of an interaction between physical activity and interoceptive processes. (143 words)
BACKGRouND: Adolescence is a period marked by significant psycho-social challenges, often leading to sleep disorders and depression. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has emerged as a promising non-pharmacological intervention for these issues. METHoDs: Forty adolescent basketball players were randomly assigned to an MBSR group or a control group. Participants completed questionnaires assessing sleep quality, perceived stress, and depression symptoms at baseline, post-intervention, and four weeks later. REsulTs: Results indicated that MBSR significantly improved sleep quality, reduced perceived stress, and alleviated depression symptoms in adolescent athletes compared to a control group. CoNClusioN: MBSR is an effective intervention for supporting adolescents during the transition to adulthood, offering a non-pharmacological approach to address common challenges.
Sport self-efficacy is concerned with attitudes and beliefs about one's own athletic abilities. According to self-efficacy theory, sport self-efficacy will impact not only sports performance but also distal indicators of well-being such as emotional and behavioral adjustment. The present study utilized a sample of 961 children assessed at ages 12 and 15 years to examine longitudinal associations between sport self-efficacy and internalizing (e.g., depression/withdrawal) and externalizing (e.g., aggression/defiance) behavior symptoms. We hypothesized that sport self-efficacy would predict subsequent internalizing but not externalizing symptoms, with stronger effects for boys. Contrary to predictions, behavior symptoms predicted sport self-efficacy, but not vice versa. Specifically, higher internalizing symptoms predicted lower sport self-efficacy, and higher externalizing symptoms predicted higher sport self-efficacy. No sex differences were observed. In sum, sport self-efficacy may be differentially influenced by internalizing and externalizing symptomatology and associated experiences, rather than influencing those symptom profiles.
The Leadership Efficacy Model is an integrative approach that considers three distinct factors involved in leadership efficacy that simultaneously contribute to exship cycles, leadership styles, and antecedent factors of leadership. This study tested the OCH by evaluating the relationship between leadership cycles and the perception of sport performance (individual and team) and satisfaction with leadership, considering also the influence of leadership styles and antecedent factors of leadership. It also tested the invariance of the OCH according to athletes' gender and type of sport. The study included 255 athletes (146 women) playing basketball or volleyball competitively. Results indicated the need for coaches to explain leadership cycles further to their athletes and confirmed the OCH for perception of individual sport performance and satisfaction with leadership. This relationship was mediated by leadership styles and antecedent factors, regardless of athletes' gender and type of sport. In summary, coaches should consider the leadership cycles, styles, and antecedent factors of leadership to increase their efficacy.
Music in physical education (PE) has recently gained popularity as an approach to increasing student learning motivation. This study incorporated Korean pop (K-pop) music, a key cultural force affecting young culture and identity, into PE classes. A total of 300 students were recruited and divided equally into two groups: an experimental group (gymnastics lessons with music) and a control group (those without music). Over a 5-week period, participants underwent 15 gymnastics sessions three times per week and were asked to fill out questionnaires on learning motivation before and after the intervention. The findings demonstrated that the experimental group exhibited higher competency and learning values than the control group over time. Students in PE lessons with K-pop music had a lower fear of failure than those without music. These findings imply that culturally relevant music in PE classes can boost students' learning motivation, which may be applicable in real-world classroom settings.
Coaches play a key role in facilitating athletes' learning of life skills and enhancing Positive Youth Development through sports. Life skills can then be transferred to other life contexts, such as home, work, and school. This study aims to explore: 1) the role of recreational sports as an environment for acquiring life skills; 2) the strategies coaches use to facilitate the development of specific life skills; and 3) the methods employed to monitor their transfer to other contexts. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 31 Italian coaches from recreational sports organizations and analyzed using the Template Analysis technique. Findings reveal that, despite lacking specific training, coaches recognize sports as a context for learning life skills and primarily adopt an implicit approach. Coaches reported that athletes develop self-awareness and group effectiveness skills. Practical implications include exercises shared by coaches to train life skills and highlight the need for structured training aligned with the Positive Youth Development approach.
