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This study aimed to design and evaluate an emotional intelligence (EI) training program for adolescents involved in intensive sport training centers. A total of 31 young elite table-tennis players received EI training through six sessions and a recall period across a competitive season. The athletes completed (1) a self-reported questionnaire at the beginning and at the end of the program to assess intra-individual and inter-individual EI; and (2) a logbook twice a month during a period of 6 months including emotion regulation strategies (ERS), cognitive appraisals, and discrete emotions. The results highlighted an increased level of intra-individual EI, especially for understanding and regulation dimensions. Moreover, multilevel growth curve analyses (MGCAs) revealed adaptive changes for the reported levels of acceptance, refocus on planning, positive reappraisal, average less-adaptive ERS, self-blame, and catastrophizing strategies. These findings support a beneficial effect of the program on ERS. However, the analyses revealed limited results for discrete emotions. Finally, MGCAs also revealed adaptive trajectories in the scores of cognitive appraisals and thus provided further evidence of the benefits of the EI program on threat, challenge, and loss levels. In sum, this interventional study adds to a growing body of EI literature by proposing a theoretically based intervention for adolescents involved in a competitive and emotionally demanding environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to set up an intervention program promoting a need-supportive style for elite coaches, and to evaluate its effects on athletes' emotional and motivational outcomes during the competitive season. Seven coaches of 16 elite table tennis players from two intensive training centers received a need-supportive intervention, comprising an initial theoretical session and video analyses of coaching sessions. The athletes reported their self-determined motivation (i.e., intrinsic motivation, integrated regulation, identified regulation, introjected regulation, external regulation, and amotivation), basic psychological need satisfaction (BPNS, for autonomy, competence, and relatedness) and thwarting (BPNT, for autonomy, competence, and relatedness), and positive and negative emotions (i.e., anxiety, anger, excitement, dejection, and happiness) in a logbook twice a month during the intervention period. Multilevel growth curve analyses revealed a decrease in the BPNT levels for autonomy and competence and an increase in BPNS for autonomy. Moreover, the results also showed improved trajectories for emotional outcomes including anxiety, anger, excitement, and happiness. Altogether, these findings complement the body of knowledge on Self-Determination Theory (SDT) in intensive training settings. Moreover, the motivational and emotional trajectories support the possibility of promoting elite athletes' outcomes with targeted sessions that are suitable for the competitive environment. Despite the absence of a control group, the program provides additional knowledge about the effects of longitudinal and practical need-supportive interventions comprising reflective practice analysis of coaching in intensive training centers. Lay summary: This study explored the effects of a need-supportive intervention on athletes' psychological experiences in intensive training centers. The intervention was targeted at the coaches and comprised theoretical knowledge and practical analyses. The results revealed an improvement in some motivational and emotional experiences of the athletes. Motivational and emotional experiences of young athletes can be improved with a need-supportive intervention. Practical analyses of coaches, based on the Self-Determination Theory, represent an opportunity to foment a need-supportive climate. A need-supportive climate can be promoted in intensive training centers with short targeted interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to explore the relationships between emotional intelligence (EI), athletes' everyday cognitive appraisal, flow state and subjective performance across a competitive season. A sample of 32 young volley-ball players completed EI questionnaire at the beginning of the season and reported their experiences of everyday cognitive appraisal, flow, and performance across a competitive season. A series of hierarchical linear modelling analyses (HLM) were performed to explore the overtime associations between the selected variables. Then, a cluster analysis was computed to determine the EI profiles of the athletes and the HLM analyses were repeated for the different EI profiles. HLM results showed that (a) flow was positively predicted by challenge and negatively by loss; (b) flow positively predicted subjective performance. Sobel tests revealed that flow mediates the relationships between appraisals and performance. Moreover, cluster analyses revealed two EI profiles (high EI profile and low EI profile) with different overtime relationships between appraisals, flow, and performance. To conclude, the present study sheds light on the emotional antecedents of flow experience and highlighted the consequences of this optimal functioning in a competitive sport context (i.e., subjective performance). More precisely, trait-EI and cognitive appraisal (challenge and loss) were revealed as flow determinants whereas the subjective performance represented a consequence of flow and appraisals. This study notably supports that the outcomes of the cognitive appraisals and the relationship between flow and sport performance is depending on the individual resources. Finally, the implementations of future applied studies of these findings were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School closure and distance learning during the COVID-19 lockdown had the potential to affect teachers' perception of their well-being and of the school climate. Within the teaching community, physical education (PE) teachers particularly redesigned their activities during school closures, posing both opportunities and threats. The study aim was to contribute to the understanding of the teachers' well-being experiences (burnout and engagement) and school climate perceptions during the lockdown for PE teachers in comparison with those of teachers of other subjects. The results from 188 teacher questionnaire responses revealed better psychological experiences among PE teachers in 2020 compared to those in a traditional year and compared to those of teachers of other subjects. School closure was related to higher collaboration, vigor scores and lower levels of physical fatigue for PE teachers. These positive effects for the PE teachers suggest using some profits of the COVID-19 period in normal teaching conditions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although relative age effects in sports have been studied worldwide, the underlying mechanisms are still under debate. This study adds to the existing knowledge by providing a further exploration of the within-year and between-year effects and their possible interaction in an individual skill/technique based sport: table tennis. Data of male and female elite players across ages (U15, U18, U21, and senior) were collected from the ranking lists in international (world and Europe) and national contexts (France and the Netherlands). A multi-way frequency analysis per subsample revealed (1) no interaction effects; (2) significant within-year and between-year effects for the U15 players in the international context and male French players; (3) a significant within-year effect in the French U18 category; (4) a significant within-year effect in female European U21; and (5) no within-year effects in the senior category. Table tennis seems to be at risk for within-year and between-year effects specifically within the context of high competitive level for younger players (U15, males, and females), but not for interactions between these effects. Future research should reveal the development of the RAEs over time in a longitudinal study, evaluate influencing constraints, and innovative prevention solutions in a more comprehensive way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the prognostic relevance of self-determined motivation, coping, burnout, perceived stress and recovery experienced by 159 youth table-tennis players involved in intensive training centers with regard to their participation and success six years later. Results of ANCOVAs showed that players who still practiced at time 2 (T2; six years later; n = 130) reported lower time 1 (T1; while they were involved in intensive training centers) amotivation (large effect), disengagement-oriented coping, sport devaluation and reduced accomplishment (moderate effects) than their counterparts who dropped out at T2 (n = 29). Results of ANCOVAs also showed that international (n = 18) and/or national players (n = 86) at T2 reported significantly lower T1 amotivation (large effect), disengagement-oriented coping and sport devaluation (moderate effects) in comparison to regional (n = 26) players at T2. Finally results of correlational analyses showed that T2 performance and/or six-year performance progress were significantly and weakly correlated with introjected and external regulations, perceived stress and perceived recovery, and significantly and moderately correlated with amotivation, disengagement-oriented coping, sport devaluation, and reduced accomplishment. Overall, this study provided insights into the role played by self-determined motivation, coping, burnout, perceived stress and recovery in the table-tennis players’ dropout and performance level six years later. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]