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A novel concurrent, independent mixed-methods research design was adopted to explore elite association football coaches' stress and mental ill-/well-being experiences over the course of an entire season. Elite coaches (N = 18) completed measures of perceived stressor severity, coping effectiveness, and mental ill-/well-being, with a sample (n = 8) also participating in semistructured interviews, across four time points. Linear mixed-model and retroductive analyses revealed (a) lower mental well-being at the beginning of the season due to negative appraisals/responses to stressors and ineffective coping attempts, (b) higher emotional exhaustion and depersonalization at the end of the season, (c) stressors high in severity led to decreased mental well-being (unless coaches coped effectively) and increased symptoms associated with burnout, and (d) ineffective coping attempts led to increased emotional exhaustion. These findings offer novel insight into the specific components of elite football coaches' stress experiences influencing their mental ill-/well-being over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stress experiences and their impact upon the daily lives and mental well-being of English Premier League professional (soccer) football coaches were explored using an in-depth qualitative design. Eight participants were interviewed using a semi-structured approach with thematic and causal network analysis revealing that (a) a range of contextually dependent demands were experienced and interpreted in relation to their situational properties; (b) many demands were appraised and emotionally responded to in a negative manner; (c) a range of coping strategies were adopted to cope with stress experiences, with many reported as ineffective; and (d) stress experiences often led to negative implications for their daily lives and eudaimonic and hedonic well-being. Positive adaptations to some demands experienced were reported and augmented perceptions of mental well-being. The findings of this study make a novel and significant contribution to understanding the interrelationships between the principal components of the stress process and the prospective links between stress and mental well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to gain an insight into the general coping strategies used by sport psychology consultants (SPCs) based in the UK, and an in-depth understanding of their development and impact. To achieve these aims a mixed-method approach was adopted by means of two linked studies. In study one, BASES accredited and/or BPS chartered SPCs (n = 29) completed the modified COPE inventory (Crocker & Graham, 1995) to gain a better understanding of the general coping strategies used by practitioners. In study two, follow-up interviews (n = 6) with participants sampled from study one were conducted to explore how the reported strategies were developed, the perceived impact of coping/not coping with stressors, and how future SPCs may be better prepared for the stressful nature of consultancy. Findings suggested that the participants had a statistically significant preference to using problem-focused coping strategies. Further, the interviews suggested that coping strategies were primarily developed through reflection on experiences in different contexts. The impacts of coping/not coping and the practical development implications raised are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to explore the stress, emotion, and coping (SEC) experiences of elite cricketers leading up to and on the day of their first competitive fixture of the season. Four elite male cricketers (M = 21.25, SD = 1.5) completed Stress and Emotion Diaries (SEDs) for the 7-day period leading up to and on the day of their first competitive fixture of the season. We then interviewed the cricketers to explore the content of the SEDs in more detail. We used semistructured interviews to glean insight into the stressors, cognitions, emotions, coping strategies, and behaviors. Inductive and deductive content data analysis provided a holistic and temporal exploration of the SEC process underpinned by the cognitive-motivational-relational theory of emotions (Lazarus, 1999). The results highlighted the ongoing and continuous nature of the SEC process while illustrating the coping strategies the cricketers used leading up to and on the day of competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study was to conduct an in-depth examination of the stress and emotion process experienced by three sub-elite-level male cricketers over a series of five competitive performances. Using reflective diaries and follow-up semistructured interviews, the findings highlighted the impact of appraisal, coping, and emotion on performance, with perceptions of control and self-confidence emerging as variables that can influence the emotive and behavioral outcomes of a stressful transaction. Postperformance, guided athlete reflection was advanced as a valuable tool in the production and application of idiographic coping behaviors that could enhance perceptions of control and self-confidence and influence stress and emotion processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the relationship between intensity (level) and direction (interpretation of level as facilitative or debilitative towards performance) of competitive anxiety symptoms experienced and the performance of the closed skill of lineout "throwing in" within critical periods of play in the sport of rugby union. Two rugby union performers in the specialist lineout "throwing in" position of hooker, one elite and one regional standard (equivalent to state honors), were video recorded over a sample of matches across their teams' respective competitive season (8 games each). Using retrospective video recall procedures (cf. Burton, 1998) 24 hours after each performance, both performers viewed an edited version of their "throwing in" performance and were requested to respond to the Immediate Anxiety Measures Scale (IAMS; Thomas, Hanton, & Jones, 2002) to assess their competitive anxiety symptom intensity and interpretations. Each performer's lineout performance was quantified by a panel of four elite rugby union coaches according to its situation criticality based on the criteria of pitch position, current match score, time of incident, and match significance. As performances became more critical, both cognitive and somatic anxiety symptoms were reported to increase, self-confidence decreased, while symptoms were indicated as less facilitative. Success rates of lineout throwing in performance also decreased as criticality increased. The elite performer reported less anxiety symptoms at the most critical period, more facilitative interpretations, and greater levels of self-confidence when compared with their regional counterpart. Lineout throwing in percentage success rate at the most critical period was also greater for the elite rugby hooker. Findings provide further insight into anxiety performance relationships utilizing more sensitive measure of sports performance. They also emphasize the role of situation criticality and the need to teach performers strategies to deal with their anxiety symptoms experienced during these critical periods of play. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to extend the existing literature examining the temporal patterning of the intensity (level) and direction (interpretation of level as facilitative or debilitative toward performance) dimensions of competitive anxiety (e.g., Hanton, Thomas, & Maynard, 2002) by considering performers' perceived causal explanations for both their symptoms experienced and their subsequent interpretations in relation to upcoming performance. Participants were 43 female netball players ranging from regional (equivalent to state honors) to national standard who completed the Immediate Anxiety Measures Scale (IAMS; Thomas, Hanton, & Jones, 2002) and an open-ended questionnaire at five intervals prior to a national league competition (7 days, 2 days, 1 day, 2 hours, 30 min). Cognitive and somatic intensity responses increased as the competition got nearer, and self-confidence decreased. Directional perceptions of symptoms became less facilitative closer to competition. Increases in symptom intensity with time were suggested to be due to opposition and social facilitation concerns. Facilitative symptom interpretations were attributed to increases in performers' focus and activation states as the competition drew closer. Debilitative interpretation explanations included low selfconfidence, concentration disruption, and negative thinking. The findings emphasize the need to view the performer's experience of competition-related symptoms as a temporal process and present implications for intervention design with regard to comprehending what causes these symptoms to change over time, and how and why the interpretations of them alter as the competition draws closer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]