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The purpose of this study was to develop a grounded theory of how to promote personal development in high-performance sport environments. Individual interviews were conducted with 32 members of the Canadian junior and senior national biathlon teams, including 18 athletes (9 women, 9 men, M age = 20.8 years, SD = 2.9), 5 coaches (1 woman, 4 men), 3 technical leaders (2 women, 1 man), and 6 parents (3 mothers, 3 fathers). Follow-up interviews were conducted with five key participants. Straussian grounded theory methodology was used. Analytic techniques included open coding, constant comparison, questioning, memoing, diagramming, and theoretical integration. The grounded theory is based on the core category that personal development is a continual and individualized process. Three propositions represent how to promote athletes' personal development process. Proposition 1: Athletes use realistic self-evaluation and goal setting. Proposition 2: Athletes experience different situations and reflect on their areas for personal development. Proposition 3: Athletes perceive and receive social support. The grounded theory portrays propositions that can be used to promote athletes' personal development in high-performance sport environments. It may inform future applied research and the delivery of sport psychology support to high-performance athletes. • We developed a grounded theory of how to promote personal development in high-performance sport environments. • The grounded theory is based on a core category and three propositions that represent how to promote athletes' personal development process. • Proposition 1: Athletes use realistic self-evaluation and goal setting to promote their personal development. • Proposition 2: Athletes experience different situations and reflect on their areas for personal development. • Proposition 3: Athletes perceive and receive social support that benefit their personal development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When evaluating one's own or others' performances, there is a strong tendency to rely on social comparison information. Remarkably, however, the extant achievement goal research suggests that the prevalence of other-based goals is very low, also in sport contexts. In the present research, we argue and demonstrate that in the context of a sports match: (1) most athletes' overarching achievement goal is an other-based approach goal (i.e., the goal to win), and (2) athletes with an overarching other-based approach goal also rely on self-based criteria (referring to one's personal performance trajectory) and task-based criteria (referring to the absolute demands of the task). Survey data was collected among 647 competitive korfball players (69.4% women), ranging in age from 16 to 56 years. As expected, for most athletes (51.6%), to win matches was their overarching achievement goal, and pursuing self-based and task-based approach goals added to their competence satisfaction. In such a hierarchical achievement goal system, subordinate goals likely help athletes to increase their awareness of what actions and means facilitate their focal objective: Coming out victorious. • Athletes' achievement goals can be structured into a hierarchical goal system. • In the context of a sports match, the overarching goal is an other-approach goal. • Athletes' competence satisfaction is also a function of other achievement goals. • Making goal systems visible likely helps athletes to self-regulate effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]