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Pressure training (PT) strategically increases pressure in training to prepare athletes to perform under pressure. Although research has studied how to create pressure during training, PT's effectiveness may depend on more than creating pressure. A practitioner's delivery of sport psychology interventions can moderate their effectiveness, so the current study explored perspectives of sport psychologists and athletes on the characteristics of effective PT delivery in applied settings. Eight international-level athletes and eight sport psychologists participated in semistructured qualitative interviews in which they described their experience participating in or conducting PT, respectively. Thematic analysis produced four themes relating to effective delivery: (a) collaboration with athletes and coaches: "with," not "to"; (b) integration into training; (c) upfront transparency; and (d) promoting learning before and after PT. The themes provide guidance for planning, conducting, and following up on PT sessions in applied settings. The best practices discussed could increase athletes' receptiveness to PT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pressure training (PT) strategically increases pressure during training to improve athletes' abilities to cope with pressure in competition. Although evidence suggests that PT can improve performance under pressure, implementation of PT can be challenging in applied settings. The purpose of this article is to guide sport psychology practitioners and coaches in conducting PT at both elite and lower levels of sport. We first outline basics of PT, including who will benefit from the intervention and when to conduct it. We also clarify the purpose of PT and distinguish it from other forms of coaching that may seem similar. The next section includes steps for conducting PT effectively. Based on research and applied practice, these recommendations address how to create pressure and how to establish training environments that are conducive to PT. Each recommendation describes a principle that can guide practitioners and coaches as they tailor PT to specific sports and levels of competition. We argue that the use of negative consequences, an existing or "baseline" level of pressure, and involvement of coaches are key ingredients for conducting PT that promotes athletes' development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a compilation of research articles in the field of psychology and sports. The articles cover various topics such as the effects of natural environments on self-control, the impact of auditory rhythm on motor timing, and the use of innovative technologies in athlete training. Other articles explore the relationship between sports motivation and physical self-conception in female adolescents, the effects of yoga on relaxation and serving accuracy in volleyball players, and the role of effort and motivation in adolescent athletes. Additionally, the document discusses the risk-taking behavior of rock climbers and the effects of acute training on executive function in college students. The articles provide valuable insights and practical implications for athletes and coaches. Another study in the document focuses on the relationship between coaching styles and athlete perceptions. Male and female student athletes emphasized the importance of the coaching relationship and provided insights into favorable and unfavorable coaching styles. The findings contribute to a better understanding of the emotional aspects of athletics and the impact of coaching on athletes. The article also highlights the significance of different coaching styles, with favorable styles being caring, constructive, and knowledgeable, while unfavorable styles are characterized by coaches who are perceived as not caring, degrading, and negative. Overall, the document emphasizes the importance of understanding the coach-athlete relationship and the implications of different coaching styles. [Extracted from the article]

Attention is a key success factor in elite sports. Mindfulness training is suspected to be a determinant of attention. The present study was a wait-list controlled investigation of the effects of a mindfulness-based sport psychology program on sustained and selective attention in young elite athletes (n = 137) and the effects of mindfulness training dosage on improving attention scores. In addition, long-term effects were examined. Selective and sustained attention were assessed in a pre–post design using the Frankfurter Aufmerksamkeits-Inventar 2, a go/no-go task. The results of this study indicate that the Berlin Mindfulness-Based Training for Athletes improved both sustained and selective attention in young athletes and that more training in the same amount of time resulted in higher scores in the assessment. The data also indicate that students who continued to practice independently after the intervention had higher scores in the long-term measure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Joint injury refers to the injury of soft tissue around the joint, such as capsule, ligament and tendon, caused by the joint suddenly moving to one side and exceeding its normal range of motion under the action of external force. It is called joint sprain. Psychological dredging has been widely used in the field of psychology and medicine. Therefore, it plays a very important role in the rehabilitation training of joint injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of PODIUM- Revista de Ciencia y Tecnologia en la Cultura Física is the property of Universidad de Pinar del Rio and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The essential aim of this research study is to represent the effects of goal setting also that feedback on motivation and performance in sports. This research study was based on primary data analysis to determine the research study used open- ended also closed-ended questions related to the variables. Goal setting is the main independent variable; the feedback is also independent of motivation and performance. Both represent the dependent variables. For measuring, the research study used SPSS software and generated informative selective results, including descriptive statistics, the one-way ANOVA test analysis, regression analysis, and model variance analysis, also that present the chi components analysis between them. The overall research study found that goal setting shows a positive effect on motivation and performance in sports. The feedback link positively and significantly to motivation and performance in sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of mindfulness and psychological skills training on Saudi Arabian athletes' athletic performance via psychological aspects. Using a convenient sampling technique, applied cross-sectional study, quantitative research approach, and structural equation modeling, a sample of 350 athletes participated (SEM). According to the survey, mindfulness and psychology skills training significantly and favorably improved athletic performance via psychological aspects. In particular, mindfulness skills training considerably enhanced psychological variables such as attention, concentration, and emotional regulation, whereas psychological skills training greatly enhanced psychological factors. This research has significant implications for athletes, coaches, and sports psychologists in Saudi Arabia, stressing the significance of incorporating mindfulness and psychological skills training into sports psychology to improve athletic performance. Future studies should investigate the impact of mindfulness and psychological skills training on sports performance in various cultural contexts using more significant sample numbers and control groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. This paper brings to the fore appropriate ways to initiate psychological skills that can determine in a relatively short time the transition from the age of initiation in athletics to novice athletes through theoretical knowledge at a higher level of practicing a sport. of performance. The various techniques that can be incorporated in the activity of a high-performance coach that makes distinct reference to the activity of a high-performance coaching can represent role models in this part of sports psychology that can be successfully applied to novice athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even though goal-directed self-talk is a key element in self-regulated learning, providing instruction and giving feedback during technical skill acquisition, few studies have explored the specific functions with which it might enhance learning and improve performance. Therefore, immediately after a training session, 32 novice Ultimate Frisbee players (Mage = 22.88, SD = 9.71) were asked to report as many self-instructions as they remembered using before task execution, after unsuccessful throws, and after successful throws. A hierarchical content analysis indicated that players used mainly instructional self-talk in all situations. However, instructional self-talk was aimed at technical aspects before their throws; at negative reinforcement, error detection, and technical adjustment after unsuccessful throws; and at positive reinforcement and technical transference after successful throws. Other functions of self-talk were confidence-enhancement and goal-promotion. Overall, we discussed that goal-directed self-talk is a relevant self-regulated learning strategy employed by novice Ultimate Frisbee players when acquiring technical skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To explore the factors impacting successful delivery of MST4Life™, a sport psychology informed mental skills training intervention, from the perspective of young people experiencing homelessness. Engaging participants in evaluating programme implementation contributes to developing effective and meaningful programmes and provides opportunities for empowerment and positive development beyond the programme Methods: Qualitative data were collected from 44 participants (female N=20, male N=13, not reported N=11; average age=20.3years), between April 2015 and July 2018. Participants took part in diary rooms to discuss their experiences with MST4Life™ via audio or video recording, or written responses. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Three main themes were developed: (1) programme content: A move towards meaningful and engaging activities; (2) creation of a supportive, safe, and empowering environment; and (3) challenges and barriers to young peoples' engagement in the programme Conclusions: The environment purposefully created by programme facilitators and frontline staff helped young people to feel supported, valued, and fosters continued programme engagement. Results highlight a strengths-based delivery style, meaningful and transferrable content as key programme components. This study demonstrates the essential nature of process evaluations and how sport and exercise psychologists can enhance accessibility of data collection methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance the specificity of psychological skills training (PST) interventions, the purpose of the current study was to examine stage of change and gender differences in the combination of transtheoretical model (TTM) constructs (i.e., decisional balance pros and cons, self-efficacy, cognitive and behavioral processes of change) among collegiate student-athletes. Participants (N = 602) completed all TTM measures, and a factorial multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted to examine the effects of stage of change and gender on the combination of TTM constructs. No significant interaction effect was identified, yet significant main effects of stage of change and gender were identified. Post hoc tests revealed unique linear combinations of decisional balance, self-efficacy, and processes of change for each stage of change contrast. Taken together, study findings may be used to enhance the specificity of behavior change interventions when delivering PST programs to both male and female collegiate student-athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to analyze the relationship between commitment to the team and team resilience factors (characteristics of resilience and vulnerability under pressure), and to examine whether the task and social intra-group conflict act as mediators between commitment to the team and team resilience factors. One hundred seventy (170) male soccer players (16-38 years; M = 18.35; SD = 4.72) of the national teams of Argentina, Costa Rica, and Mexico participated in the study. The path analytic model was used to test mediating pathways. First, the results revealed that commitment to the team was positively related to characteristics of resilience and negatively to vulnerability under pressure. Second, bootstrap mediation analysis showed that athletes' perceptions of the task and social intra-group conflict mediated the association between their perception of commitment to the team and team resilience factors. Findings provide initial evidence for a link between commitment to the team and team resilience in national teams and also suggest that intra-group conflict can improve the association between commitment to the team and team resilience. Therefore, the main conclusion of this study is that practioners should promote players' commitment to the team and avoid intra-group conflicts within teams to have a resilient team that copes with problems more easily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research on multilayer neural network theory has developed rapidly in recent years. It has parallel processing capabilities and fault tolerance and has aroused the interest of many researchers. The neural network has made great progress in the field of control, especially in model identification and control. It has been quickly applied in the fields of device design, optimized operation, and fault analysis and diagnosis. Neural network control, as an automated control technology in the 21st century, has been fully proved by theories and practices at home and abroad, and it is very useful in complex process control. Sports psychology is a discipline that studies the psychological characteristics and laws of people engaged in sports, and it is also a new development in sports science. The main task of sports psychology is to study people's psychological processes when participating in sports, such as feeling, perception, appearance, thinking, memory, emotion, and characteristics of will and its role and significance in sports. An important feature of multilayer neural networks is to achieve results that match the expected output through network learning. It has strong self-learning, self-adaptability, and fault tolerance. The multilayer neural network system evaluation method is unique with its extraordinary ability to deal with complex nonlinear problems and does not involve human intervention. This article presents a multilayer neural network algorithm, which classifies the samples of athletes, and studies the physical education training process, the psychological characteristics of related personnel in sports competitions, such as the psychological characteristics of the formation of sports skills, and the psychological training of athletes before the game. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essential aim of this research study is to measure the effect of virtual reality and augmented reality on sport psychology. This research study based on the quantitative research and data based on primary data analysis. For this purpose, generate different questions related to the variables the virtual reality and augmented reality both are consider as independent variable the sport psychology is main dependent variable. This research study employed smart PLS software to run distinct outcomes connected to the indicators and it was based on primary data analysis. The R square, composite reliability, discriminant validity, the indicator correlation, the total effect analysis and smart PLS Algorithm model present the overall research study. The virtual reality and augmented reality both are play a vital role in sport psychology. According to the result the overall research founded that there are positive and significant impact of virtual reality and augmented reality on the sport psychology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Brasileira de Medicina do Esporte is the property of Redprint Editora Ltda. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Preparation for an endurance event among amateur athletes requires a major commitment on their part. Knowing amateur athletes' psychological characteristics during a training period should be a priority for coaches and athletes. The aim of our longitudinal study was to characterize the psychological profile of amateur athletes over a training period of six months prior to and after a long-distance triathlon. Thirty-two amateur athletes (13 females; 19 males; 1.5±1.3 years of experience) were recruited for this observational study. All participants (39±9.9 years old; weighs 73±12.9 kg; measure 172±10.2 cm) underwent a physical fitness assessment pre- and post 6-months of training, a monthly psychological questionnaire battery assessing mood, positive and negative affect, passion and motivation and, for some participants (n=5), an interview post event. Positive emotions increased until the sixth month, from 38.1±22.0 to 54.3±7.2 (Z=3.49, p<0.001, r=0.80). Participants were more harmonious (29.0±3.0) than obsessive (13.0±1.0) with their triathlon's passion (Z=4.91, p<0.001, r=0.85). Participants felt a high level of intrinsic motivation (15.9±1.76) and a low level of external motivation (4.9±1.08) about their triathlon training (p<0.05). The vigor score is the only sub scale that significantly changed from the 1st to the 6th month of training, and ranged between 21.4±10.6 and 28.1±4.1 (Z=2.0, p=0.046, r=0.46). This longitudinal observational study is the first to have explored athletes' psychological and emotional parameters over a training period of six months prior to a long-distance triathlon event and one month after. Thus, specific interventions and mental training can be structured around these important milestones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this consultant and its effect on job performance of all employees related to the athletes' firms. This research study is based on primary data analysis which measures the sport psychology consultant effect on job performance. To data collection, the study uses specific questions related to sports psychology and job performance of athletes' firms. For further analysis for the data, the author uses smart PLS software wherein the summary effect among the factors is calculated using regression analysis. Based on extracted correlation coefficients and normalised regression coefficients, the study examines 85 effect sizes in 100 plus samples selected from studies of sports organisation staff and members. Both, South Korean sport psychology and effectiveness are used as independent variables. The job performance of employees of athletes' firm is the dependent variable of the study. Results found that South Korean sport psychology shows inverse relation between job performances of athletes' firms. The effectiveness shows a positive effect on the job performance of employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concentration, focusing on the most relevant information for further processing, is regarded as a prerequisite for successful sporting performance. Athletes must possess awareness, knowledge, and controllability of their attention to concentrate effectively. One way to develop this awareness, knowledge, and controllability of attention is through the mechanism of meta-attention – thinking about, knowing about, and controlling attention. Meta-attention illuminates the underlying cognitive mechanisms that direct the attentional spotlight. We open with a brief background of attention and outline how concentration can be understood through a metacognitive lens. Next, we present Think Aloud Level 3 as a tool for capturing meta-attentional processes during sport performance. Finally, we discuss the applied implications of adopting a meta-attentional approach to understand concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field of applied sport psychology has traditionally grounded its performance enhancement techniques in the cognitive-behavioral elements of psychological skills training. These interventions typically advocate for controlling one's cognitive and emotional processes during performance. Mindfulness-based approaches, on the other hand, have recently been introduced and employed more frequently in an effort to encourage athletes to adopt a nonjudgmental acceptance of all thoughts and emotions. Like many applied interventions in sport psychology, however, the body of literature supporting the efficacy of mindfulness-based approaches for performance enhancement is limited, and few efforts have been made to draw evidence-based conclusions from the existing research. The current paper had the purpose of systematically reviewing research on mindfulness-based interventions with athletes to assess (a) the efficacy of these approaches in enhancing sport performance and (b) the methodological quality of research conducted thus far. A comprehensive search of relevant databases, including peer-reviewed and gray literature, yielded 19 total trials (six case studies, two qualitative studies, seven nonrandomized trials, and four randomized trials) in accordance with the inclusion criteria. An assessment tool was used to score studies on the quality of research methodology. While a review of this literature yielded preliminary support for the efficacy of mindfulness-based performance enhancement strategies, the body of research also shows a need for more methodologically rigorous trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study examined how two high-level coaches in fencing and football perceived the challenges that emerged during a three-month coach education programme aimed at them delivering psychological skills training to athletes. We used action research as the study design and collected data using observations, six semi-structured interviews, and one focus group. We analysed the data using a thematic content analysis. Our findings showed that the coaches struggled with role clarity. The psychological impact was that coaches struggled with identifying the borders between delivering psychological skills training as a part of their coaching and when to refer athletes to sport psychology experts. The coaches also suggested that gaining more knowledge in sport psychology allowed them to analyse the athletes. However, the coaches viewed this as a potential area for abusing trust in the coach-athlete relationship. We suggest that coach education programmes should include content on ethical dilemmas to safeguard against potential abuse of the coach-athlete relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the variation of student-athletes' identity and motivation across Portuguese and Brazilian universities, accounting for variation in gender, student-athletes' training hours per week, sports level, student-athletes status within each university, and university type. We initially established the validity of the Baller Identity Measurement Scale questionnaire and the Student-Athletes' Motivation toward Sports and Academics Questionnaire-based observations among 441 Brazilian and Portuguese student-athletes. Then, the validated version of the questionnaires was applied to a total sample of 765 student-athletes from Brazil (n= 568) and Portugal (n = 197). We further considered individual (hours of training and student-athlete status) and contextual characteristics (university type and country). Multilevel regression and poststratification were used to estimate each student-athlete identity and motivation as a function of his or her individual and contextual characteristics. Overall, the predictions showed that cultural (country), academic (type of university), and athletic (training hours) context likely have a substantial influence on student-athletes' identity and motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the effectiveness of a mental skills training (MST) program for male youth elite rugby athletes. Three focus groups were held with 21 under-16 male rugby athletes and four male coaches involved in the MST program to examine the quality of service delivery, athlete responses to the MST program, the mental qualities used by athletes, and its perceived influence on athlete performance. Following inductive-deductive content analysis, 40 subcategories and 16 categories emerged. Participants believed the MST program to be an interactive, well-planned program that increased athlete understanding of MST methods and awareness of MST strategies to manage rugby performance. Athletes thought it important that their coaches develop a greater knowledge and understanding of MST methods. Finally, athletes perceived the MST skills and methods they learnt through the MST program were transferable to other sports and areas of their life outside of rugby (e.g., school). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a method for studying the consistency of coaches' and athletes' situation understanding. Three elite athletes and their coach were video recorded during winter training session, international summer competition, and training session following competition. Postperformance self-confrontation interviews were conducted separately with each participant, who was asked to describe his/her activity in relation to the events observed. Interview data were used to characterize compatible (i.e., similar or the same) information between coach and athlete and modes of compatibility. Results showed compatible situation understanding was based on five information categories: (a) technical elements, (b) athlete's psychological states, (c) organization and safety, (d) performance, and (e) athlete's experience. Results also showed whether coaches' and athletes' information were not compatible, compatible, or mutually compatible. The method used and specific findings are discussed in relation to the analysis of consistency of coaches' and athletes' situation understanding from larger samples of participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In specialist sports coaching, the type and manner of augmented information that the coach chooses to use in communicating and training with individual athletes can have a significant impact on skill development and performance. Informed by insights from psychology, pedagogy, and sport science, this position paper presents a practitioner-based approach in response to the overarching question: When, why, and how could coaches provide information to athletes during coaching interventions? In an ecological dynamics rationale, practice is seen as a search for functional performance solutions, and augmented feedback is outlined as instructional constraints to guide athletes' self-regulation of action in practice. Using the exemplar of team sports, we present a Skill Training Communication Model for practical application in the context of the role of a specialist coach, using a constraints-led approach (CLA). Further based on principles of a non-linear pedagogy and using the recently introduced Periodization of Skill Training (PoST) framework, the proposed model aims to support practitioners' understanding of the pedagogical constraints of feedback and instruction during practice. In detail, the PoST framework's three skill development and training stages work to (1) directly impact constraint manipulations in practice designs and (2) indirectly affect coaches' choices of external (coach-induced) information. In turn, these guide practitioners on how and when to apply different verbal instruction methodologies and aim to support the design of effective skill learning environments. Finally, several practical guidelines in regard to sports coaches' feedback and instruction processes are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research is to signal the importance of mental training which consists in developing those aspects of the athlete's psycho-behavioral activity that condition him an effective conduct in training both in terms of full adaptation to stress and stress, and in terms of technical and tactical perfection. In this sense, we start from the premise that psychological monitoring in performance sports in general and in alpine skiing in general through objective investigations and evaluations, determine the achievement of superior results both in the training of athletes and in competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brackground: Pre-competitive anxiety is one of the most studied themes among psychological factors for performance in high performance competitions. When it comes to grassroots categories this pressure can be higher considering the psychic structure and age of these little athletes. Objective: The objective of this report is to discuss theoretically the concepts of pre-competitive stress and anxiety, describing an experience of acquiring participants' techniques and behaviors through a training of mental skills on the day of competition. Methods: This study was conducted from the observations of four athletes between 11 and 13 years old at the Brazilian Judo Championship in 2018, after a seven-month period of mental skills training, performed in an intervention project in Sports Psychology. Results: Through reports and observations, it was observed the use of strategies and techniques for anxiety reduction, used by the four athletes participating in the project. Conclusion: The results showed that situational factors such as somatic body sensations and dysfunctional thoughts, denoted the main ways anxiety was experienced by these children. The techniques learned in the mental training experienced by the athletes were applied in competition and had a positive impact on the control of cognitive and somatic anxieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to gain a thorough understanding of the high school sport captaincy experience. Thirteen university freshmen (7 males, 6 females) who were high school sport captains the previous year participated in 60-90 min semistructured interviews. Hierarchical content analysis of the data revealed that the majority of participants believed that their captainship experience was positive, but also cited difficult aspects such as having responsibility/being held accountable, being scrutinized/meeting expectations, and staying neutral in conflict situations. The majority of captains also reported receiving little to no training from coaches for their captaincy role and indicated that they learned to lead largely from previous life experiences, such as by observing significant others and learning through trial and error. Results on perceived roles and duties, perceived effectiveness, attitudes toward formal leadership training, and recommendations for future captains are also provided. Implications for designing youth sport leadership development interventions and advancing research on youth leadership are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of a strategy that combined self talk and performance feedback. Therefore, three groups of adult tennis players performed a forehand groundstroke task. The first group (n = 16) applied an instructional self talk and self feedback combination, the second (n = 16) used regular instructional self talk, and the third (n = 16) performed without any specific aid. The hypothesis was that the performance and concentration scores of both self talk groups would improve from the pretest to the posttest, while the scores from the control group would remain unchanged. The analysis of variance with repeated measures confirmed this hypothesis. Further, the players who used self feedback perceived the effectiveness of their intervention to be significantly higher compared with the other intervention group. Overall, the combination of self talk and feedback seems to be an alternative to the original instructional self talk intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptation is defined here as the end point in a process, when people respond in a positive manner to hardship, threat, and challenge, including monumental sport tests, such as international tournaments. Recently, there have been formal research investigations where adaptation has been considered as a provisional framework, with a more formal structure of pathways. Sport scholars have studied Olympic and professional athletes, provided support for a theoretical framework, and identified provisional substrategies for each pathway. In this article the authors situate adaptation within a larger discourse of related interventions, including coping and self-regulation. Subsequently, adaptation is proposed as a comprehensive intervention strategy for elite athletes during monumental sport environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-modeling involves the observation of oneself on an edited videotape to show a desired performance (Dowrick & Dove, 1980). While research has investigated the effects of self-modeling on physical performance and psychological mechanisms in relation to skill acquisition (e.g., Clark & Ste-Marie, 2007), no research to date has used a qualitative approach to examine the thought processes athletes engage in during the viewing of a self-modeling video in a competitive sport environment. The purpose of this study was to explore the self-regulatory processes of ten divers who viewed a self-modeling video during competitions. After competition, the divers were asked four questions relating to the self-modeling video. Zimmerman's (2000) self-regulation framework was adopted for deductive analysis of the responses to those questions. The results indicated that a number of self-regulatory processes were employed, and they were mainly those in the forethought (75%) and self-reflection (25%) phases of Zimmerman's model. Directions for future research in self-regulation and self-modeling are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to explore sport psychology consultants' experiences of using hypnosis in their practice. Specifically a better understanding of hypnosis utilization as a performance enhancement technique in applied sport psychology was sought. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with six sport psychology consultants (all PhDs) who each possessed training and experience related to hypnosis. Analysis of the interview data revealed a variety of major themes and subthemes related to the guiding interview questions: (a) hypnosis training and experience, (b) stereotypes and misconceptions related to hypnosis, (c) utilizing hypnosis as a performance enhancement technique, (d) advantages and disadvantages of using hypnosis with athletes, and (e) cultural considerations related to using hypnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the issue of systematic evaluation of mental skills training programs (MSTP) in applied sport psychology in the United States. Effort to develop an objective body of knowledge to guide applied services; Stages of change approach to MSTP evaluation; Importance of psychological process within sports and life.

Sport evaluation is a fundamental moment in the training process of every athlete, every team and is an indispensable support for the coach. The aims and all the aspects related to the assessment, will be taken into consideration, together to that can have a positive eff ect on performance, allowing each athlete, team and coach a good workout or match, whatever their competitive level. The approach is argumentative theoretical for the part relating at the training theory. Firstly, summarizing and deducting the scientific idea of research and of apply it in the practices of measurement and evaluation of the sport performance. One of the topics investigated is the relationship between genetic factors and training factors, in determining the performance of an athlete. The athlete's evaluation process should be useful in setting up and controlling the training and providing information to improve sport performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The popular tourist town of Stellenbosch in South Africa has long been a favoured training destination for European athletes during the northern hemisphere winter months. This paper considers the case study of German athletes - one of the most prominent groups to train in Stellenbosch since the early 1990s. The analysis involves the application of the concept of the Tourist Area Life Cycle (TALC) to the town’s sport tourism offering. In this regard Stellenbosch continues to experience notable demographic changes, not all of which are related to tourism. The impact of these changes is considered in the context of the factors which have historically made the town a sought-after destination for high performance athletics training camps. Consequently this paper offers an analysis of Stellenbosch’s current and future attractiveness as far as this particular dimension of sport tourism is concerned. This is an important consideration given the availability of alternative training destinations both in South Africa and internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the recent inclusion of surfing in the 2020 Olympic Games in Japan, there will be a number of surfing athletes vying for one of the twenty total available spots for their respective gender. The purpose was to evaluate relative age effects (RAEs) in surfing with consideration for specific developmental constraints. Elite competitive male surfers (n = 1590) were examined by birth month and subcategorized by competitive level, age groups, and geographical regions. The observed quarterly distribution was not significantly different (using χ²; p>0.05) from expected for the overall group or any of the subcategories. However, an odds ratio of 1.85 (90% confidence interval: 1.08-3.14) was calculated for being born in the first semester of the year compared to being born in the second semester between top 34 athletes and the rest of the field. Despite consideration for individual, environmental, and task constraints in this study, the sport of surfing does not appear to have any observable RAEs at the professional level. Thus, surfing appears to be one of the few sporting activities included in the Olympic Programme with limited RAEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes aspects of the delivery of sports psychology to combat sport athletes in squad training sessions in Poland. Discussion on the methods used; People who conduct training sessions; Exercises performed; Directions for further development.

Study 1 was conducted to explore athletes' perceptions of an athlete who consults a sport psychologist. Football players from two NCAA Division II colleges, one with and one without athletic counseling/sport psychology services, were asked to indicate how strongly they would recommend drafting a quarterback who had worked with his coaches, a sport psychologist, or a psychotherapist to improve his performance. Results indicated that in neither college did athletes derogate other athletes who were said to have consulted sport psychologists. Study 2 was conducted to examine athletes' perceptions of various sport and mental health professionals. Similarity judgments of the practitioners were analyzed using correspondence analysis, and rankings of the practitioners on three dimensions (expertise in sport-related, mental, and physical issues) were analyzed using cultural consensus analysis. Consistent with past research, these three variables were salient factors in subjects' similarity judgments of the practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two experiments tested the hypothesis that athletes who consult a sport psychologist to improve performance are derogated by the public compared to athletes who attempt to resolve the same issues by working with their coaches. In the first experiment a college quarterback was reported to have worked with either his coaches or a sport psychologist on improving his consistency. The primary dependent variable was how strongly subjects would recommend drafting the player in question. There was a significant main effect for the coach versus sport psychologist variable, no main effect for the type of problem, and no interaction effect. A set of 10 bipolar scales were analyzed to explore the attributions associated with the draft rating. The second experiment investigated whether the negative halo effect would occur in other sports and apply to players in peripheral as well as central positions. The results indicated that the negative halo effect occurred for a basketball guard on the draft rating but not for a center, a pitcher, or an outfielder. However, a MANOVA of the 10 scales revealed a main effect for the consultant variable. The results of the two experiments were discussed in relation to theories of deviance and stigmatization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article Life Development Intervention (LDI) is described. It is an intervention based on a developmental-educational framework that fits the needs of practitioners from varied backgrounds and disciplines and opens the path to better communication among these practitioners. LDI can be used to enhance athletes' performance both inside and outside sports. The assumptions underlying LDI are presented, the role of the LDI specialist is examined, and a framework for selecting intervention strategies is outlined. Particular attention is given to the importance of learning how to teach the transfer skills from one domain to another. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study researching the effectiveness of visualization on the learning of a physical skill and the influence of imagery on performance. The study examined novice and experienced trampolinists. The study found that imagery is an effective tool for motor learning, especially for experienced athletes.

This paper presents a philosophy for sport psychology consulting that emphasizes a belief in helping people's dreams come true, believing in possibilities, trusting in ability and talent, and the awesome power of the mind if the mind is properly directed. Particular attention is focused on learning how to resist socialization in order to do one's best. A brief introduction of strategies for doing so and how such ideals may be delivered is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there is evidence that mental practice and associative strategies are associated with successful athletic performance (Feltz & Landers, 1983; Porter &Foster, 1986; Suinn, 1984, 1985; Ungerleider, 1985), little is known about the extent to which athletes actually use these techniques (Suinn, 1985). Hence, practicing sport psychology consultants have little information available as to the frequency that client athletes actually use such techniques. Similarly, little is known about the correlates of these techniques among athletes. The present study was designed to help rectify this situation by examining the use of mental practice and associative strategies by a large sample of Masterstrack and field athletes who participated in a national championship event. Also examined is the association of using these strategies with demographic characteristics, athletic background, other mental training strategies, and motivations for athletic participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation evaluated the impact of goal specificity and task complexity on basketball skill development. Two hypotheses were tested: (a) specific goals promote greater skill improvement than general goals; (b) goal setting effects are significantly greater for simple than for complex tasks. Students in a basketball class were matched on pretest skill and assigned to either specific or general goal setting groups. During each of 15 class periods of the 8-week course, students were assigned specific or general goals for each fundamental basketball skill in a 7-station circuit. Results partially confirmed both hypotheses. Profile analyses revealed that specific-goal subjects significantly outperformed general-goal classmates on defensive footwork and ball handling drills whereas dribbling drills approached significance. Task complexity results suggested that subjects setting specific goals performed significantly better than those setting general goals on low but not on high complexity tasks, whereas results for moderate task complexity were mixed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides a description of a device developed by Steven Levinson, a clinical psychologist in Minnesota. The device is called an Intention Arousing Device or IAD. It was designed to remind individuals to commence clinically prescribed activities. In sports situations, it is a tool to help athletes to practice mental strategies for controlling concentration and arousal, and for changing behavior. The article provides the example of a tennis player whose coach had identified changing her backhand as a way to improve her game. Practice had not improved her performance, as she often was distracted, as was her coach, by other aspects of her game that needed attention. The athlete decided to set the IAD to vibrate at two minute intervals to remind her to prepare early on the backhand. After three weeks of practice she had effected the desired change.

With the emergence of sport imagery training programs, sport psychologists need to understand the various conditions that have been found to facilitate imagery practice. This manuscript focuses on these conditions including vividness and controllability, practice, attitude and expectation, previous experience, relaxed attention, and internal versus external imagery. The summary synthesizes key points, advocating that these points be stressed in future sport imagery research and programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the clinical facets of sport psychology. In the last decade, physical fitness and athletic activity were given emphasis. Physical fitness and health were included in educational programs. With underscoring on winning and competition, school administrators, coaches, and physical education departments directed their energy into sports. This has prompted change in the behavior of the youth, who are often the competitors. They prefer to be handled individually and to have a voice on strategies they would like to implement in their sport of liking. This change affected coaches who are responsible for developing athletes.