Athlete Monitoring in Rugby League: a focus on the conceptualisation, implementation and utilisation of a wellness questionnaire.

Wellness questionnaires are often used to monitor athletes to gain an understanding of the responses to training and gameplay. This thesis presents original information concerning the conceptualisation, implementation and use of wellness questionnaires with a focus on the sport of rugby league. The overall aim of the thesis was to investigate the use and implementation of a wellness questionnaire with the goal of developing a framework for successful implementation. Whilst wellness questionnaires appear to be a popular method for evaluating the response to training and readiness to perform, there are limited details on the type of questionnaires used by practitioners. Study 1 investigated the use and implementation of current wellness questionnaires across a range of high- performance sports. The study examined if there is commonality amongst the use of wellness questionnaires with regard to customised designs, scales, items and the levels of implementation achieved. Based on a review of the literature and practical experience of the research team, an online survey was constructed consisting of 23 questions. 122 participants recruited through the network of the research team completed the survey. Analysis of the responses indicated that customised wellness questionnaires were prevalent and used by the majority of respondents (74%) each training day. These questionnaires differed in the types of scale, items and analysis techniques used. With regard to implementation, the majority reported completion rates above 75%. However, issues associated with the questionnaire, team resources, issuing reminders and generating buy-in were evident. In a follow up to the main survey, practitioners identified five key themes needed for successful implementation which were labelled the Implementation Outcomes. These outcomes can be used to evaluate the success of the implementation and use of wellness questionnaires. Following on from study 1 it was necessary to give an in-depth foc