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Several severe performance blocks have been described in the sport psychology literature, in particular the lost move and the yips. Beyond the identification of the traumatic situations associated with these problems, there is a lack of understanding of the process that ultimately culminates in performance blocks. In the present study, a situated and dynamic analysis of a specific type of block in acrobatics was conducted to: (i) identify the propensities of trampolinists to develop lost move, (ii) categorize the types of moves involved, (iii) determine the circumstances of the occurrence of lost moves as typical situations, and (iv) describe the evolution of the loss and its duration. The nine national and international-level French-speaking coaches we interviewed were asked to describe the lost moves they had experienced as coaches. Prior to their interview, each coach had to answer a questionnaire in which they were asked to identify the number of lost moves they experienced. Based on our results, lost moves appeared as evolutive adaptative processes with four steps: disruption, manifestation, contamination, and final adaptation. The phenomenon appeared as observable behavioral manifestations emerging from the interaction between athletes' dispositions and the situations in which they find themselves throughout their sporting careers. Thus, lost moves might be considered as transitional states in skill development to which an athlete's performance can branch off. Three main levels of concrete interventions were described, including careful consideration of the athletes' dispositions and life-course circumstances, avoiding contamination, time off, and engaging in other activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have shown that doping behavior emerges from contexts. Educational research would therefore be enriched by explorations of the situatedness of athletes' activity and its dynamics of development inside sporting life courses. The principles can be summarized as (a) the connection between antidoping and athletes' time-specific and meaningful concerns, (b) the creation of fields of possible activity that preserve athletes from doping, (c) the focus on propensities toward activities that pull athletes away from doping, and (d) the regular and timely updating of programs. Following this, the general framework for the antidoping education of elite athletes comprises four levels articulated by their distribution over the periods of athletes' careers: (a) creating and maintaining a global antidoping culture via continuous socialization, (b) developing a sustained antidoping background via situated activities, (c) supporting punctual and specific needs with free services for all athletes, and (d) promoting tertiary prevention and post-career education.

Used course-of-action theory to identify typical organization of teachers' actions when in conflict with students. Middle school physical educators were interviewed and filmed during lessons. Overall, teacher-student conflicts were infrequent. When conflict occurred, teacher attempts at resolution were under strong time pressure, leading to risk of further deteriorating the situation because of precipitous decisions. There was systematic exploitation of conflict to drive home a message. (SM)

Context: A growing amount of recent research in sport psychology has focused on trying to understand withdrawals from ultra-races. However, according to the Four E approach, the studies underestimated the embedded components of these experiences and particularly how they were linked to the specific environmental conditions in which the experiences occurred. Objective: This study aimed to characterize trail running withdrawals in relationship to race topography. Design: Qualitative design, involving self-confrontation interviews and use of a race map. Setting: Use of the race map for description of the race activity and self-confrontation interviews took place 1–3 days after the races. Participants: Ten runners who withdrew during an ultra-trail race. Data Collection and Analysis: Data on past activity traces and experiences were elicited from self-confrontation interviews. Data were coded and compared to identify common sequences and then each type of sequence was counted with regard to race topography. Results: Results showed that each sequence was related to runners’ particular possibilities for acting, feeling, and thinking, which were in turn embedded in the race topography. These sequences allowed the unfolding of the activity and increased its overall effectiveness in relation to the constraints of this specific sport. Conclusion: This study allowed us to highlight important information on how ultra-trail runners manage their races in relationship to the race environment and more specifically to its topography. The result will also help us to recommend potential adjustments to ultra-trail runners’ performance-oriented training and preparation.

Studies have shown that doping behavior emerges from contexts. Educational research would therefore be enriched by explorations of the situatedness of athletes’ activity and its dynamics of development inside sporting life courses. The principles can be summarized as (a) the connection between antidoping and athletes’ time-specific and meaningful concerns, (b) the creation of fields of possible activity that preserve athletes from doping, (c) the focus on propensities toward activities that pull athletes away from doping, and (d) the regular and timely updating of programs. Following this, the general framework for the antidoping education of elite athletes comprises four levels articulated by their distribution over the periods of athletes’ careers: (a) creating and maintaining a global antidoping culture via continuous socialization, (b) developing a sustained antidoping background via situated activities, (c) supporting punctual and specific needs with free services for all athletes, and (d) promoting tertiary prevention and post-career education. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We analyzed the courses of experience of 10 runners who volunteered to describe their experiences of withdrawal during an ultra-trail race. Data collected contained traces of past activities elicited in self-confrontation interviews. Data were coded and compared with identify structures in common sequences. Seven representative sequences were identified: feeling pain; putting meaning to those feelings; adjusting one's running style; attempting to overcome the problem; other runners' influences; assessing the situation; and deciding to withdraw. Results showed that disruptive events could cause progressive, cumulative, and varied transformations in runners' courses of experience that led inevitably to withdrawal. Practical implications for mental preparation and race management are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a situated cognition approach, this study analyzed elite athletes' actions, i.e., behaviors link to cognitions, during competitive trampoline performances, which are evaluated from a succession of 10 acrobatic movements characterized by flight time and fall risk. 27 exercises performed by 10 elite athletes were ranked poor, average, or good and analyzed. Self-confrontation interviews were conducted and transcribed in relation with behavioral descriptions derived from video recordings. Qualitative analysis was performed to identify units of meaningful action and their components. The succession of units describing the stream of actions was used to identify differentiated organization of trampolinists' performances. Three patterns, corresponding to performance levels, were distinguished by (a) an increasing number of meaningful actions occurring at the same time, (b) a reduction in actions of waiting, and (c) the emergence of new actions aimed at interaction with the situation. These results suggest that differentiation in performance level is linked with meaningful actions modified through interaction with the context.

The aim of this study was to examine the relevance of a set of psychological assessment tools for professional practice in talent development psychology. Data collection on 70 talented adolescent soccer players (ages 15-19 years) from a French-speaking part of Switzerland was based on McAdams' framework. Data were processed to identify main team characteristics and differences between subgroups compared to standard values. Results suggested needs for psychological support in four domains: (a) management of emotional stability to reduce anxiety regarding performance and interactions with coaches; (b) enhancement of involvement in practice, including conscientiousness, quality of practice, and building positive and supportive relationships with coaches; (c) protection against substance abuse and doping; and (d) appropriation of activities that improve performance and increase the likelihood of benefiting from the challenges. The results indicate how these tools can be packaged as a set for overseeing talent development in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]