Longitudinal trajectories of athlete burnout among young table tennis players: A 3-wave study

PurposeThe purposes of this study were to examine the trajectories of athlete burnout across a 2-month period characterized by high physical, psychological, and social demands to explore (1) whether several subgroups of athletes representing distinct burnout trajectories emerged from the analyses and (2) whether athlete burnout symptoms (reduced accomplishment, sport devaluation, and exhaustion) developed in tandem or whether some burnout dimensions predicted downstream changes in other dimensions (causal ordering model).MethodsOne hundred and fifty-nine table tennis players in intensive training centers completed a self-reported athlete burnout measure across 3 time points within a 2-month period characterized by high demands. Data were analyzed through latent class growth analysis.ResultsResults of latent class growth analysis showed 3 distinct trajectories for each athlete burnout dimension, indicating not only linear or quadratic change but also stability in longitudinal athlete burnout perceptions. Results also suggested that the 3 dimensions of athlete burnout did not develop in tandem. Rather, the likelihood of belonging to particular emerging trajectories of sport devaluation and physical/emotional exhaustion was significantly influenced by the athletes' perception of reduced accomplishment assessed at Time 1. Thus, reduced accomplishment predicted downstream changes in the 2 other athlete burnout dimensions.ConclusionAs a whole, these results highlighted that the multinomial heterogeneity in longitudinal athlete burnout symptoms needs to be accounted for in future research.     

Coping profiles of young Athletes in their everyday life: A three-wave two-month study

Abstract

Young athletes in intensive training settings are confronted with a series of daily stressors although they have a smaller and less flexible coping repertoire than adults. Moreover, previous studies neglected the multivariate nature of coping. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to first identify coping profiles of young athletes in response to daily stressors related to their competitive sport involvement. Second, the study examined: (a) if such profiles were similar across the three waves, (b) how many participants belonged to the same profile along the three waves, and (c) whether individuals from distinct profiles differed on burnout, stress, and recovery. One hundred and forty-seven young table-tennis players involved in intensive training settings completed the CICS, RESTQ-Sport, and ABQ three times during a 2-month period. Cluster analyses indicated three similar clusters across the three waves: task-oriented coping, distraction- and disengagement-oriented coping, and low coping profiles. The distribution of athletes significantly varied across waves. Burnout, stress, and recovery significantly differed across the coping profiles. Athletes from the task-oriented coping profile were characterized by the best psychological adjustment (high scores of recovery and low scores of stress and burnout). In contrast, athletes from the distraction- and disengagement-oriented coping profile were characterized by the worst psychological adjustment (high scores of stress and burnout and low scores of recovery). These findings highlighted that the coping profiles allow examining coping within a holistic approach, teasing out the complex associations with key outcomes, such as burnout, stress, and recovery.     

Trajectories of psychological states of women elite fencers during the final stages of international matches

This study examined the trajectories and within-person synergies of psychological processes during the final stages of matches. A process-oriented approach was used with nine women elite fencers during an international competition. Multiple assessments of perceived control, threat and challenge appraisals, problem- and emotion-focused coping, positive and negative affects were completed after each touches using video recall method. Multilevel growth curve analyses (MGCAs) indicated that winning and losing matches were each characterised by distinct psychological processes. Specifically, perceived control, challenge appraisal, problem- and emotion-focused coping, and positive affects increased linearly and threat appraisal decreased linearly for wining matches, whereas negative affects increased linearly for losing matches. Regarding the within-person synergies of psychological processes, MGCAs indicated that (1) perceived control and challenge appraisal were significantly associated with problem- and emotion-focused coping for losing matches, the strength of these associations remaining consistent across touches; (2) problem-focused coping was significantly associated with negative affects whereas emotion-focused coping was significantly associated with positive affects for winning matches, the strength of these associations remaining consistent across touches; and (3) problem- and emotion-focused coping were significantly associated with negative affects for losing matches, the linear trajectory of negative affects accelerating at times when athletes had higher levels of emotion-focused coping. Overall, this study provided insights into transactional processes during competition.     

Classes of developmental trajectories of body mass index: Differences in motor competence and cardiorespiratory fitness

ABSTRACT

The purpose was to identify classes of different developmental trajectories of BMI and testing them for differences in motor competence (MC) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), in children and adolescents (4 to 13 years of age). This was a 5 years’ longitudinal study with six cohorts. One hundred and forty-seven children (69 girls) divided into six cohorts participated. At baseline, the youngest and the oldest cohorts had 4 and 11 years of age, respectively. Height and weight were assessed, and BMI was calculated. MC was assessed with KTK and TGMD-2, and CRF was assessed with one-mile run/walk. Developmental trajectories of BMI were identified using latent class linear-mixed modelling. Latent class membership was explained according to covariates of MC and CRF. Two meaningful classes were identified. Class 1 (78.92% of the participants) showed lower initial BMI and a lower slope compared to class 2 (21.08% of the participants) (all ps < 0.001). Class membership only predicted trajectories in motor coordination, with children in class 1 having a better development.

In conclusion, this study identified two meaningful trajectories for children based on their BMI development across five time points. In line with previous research, children with slower increasing BMI showed better motor coordination improvements.     

Perception of coaching behaviors, coping, and achievement in a sport competition

This study examined the relationship between perceived coaching behaviors, coping strategies during a sport competition, and sport achievement. A prospective design was used in which 80 athletes from individual sports completed measures of perceived coaching behaviors two days before a competition (Time 1) and measures of coping and sport achievement within three hours after a sport competition (Time 2). As expected, results of multiple regressions indicated that supportive coaching was a positive predictor of task-oriented coping and sport achievement whereas unsupportive coaching was a positive predictor of disengagement-oriented coping. Both types of coping were significantly associated with sport achievement. Task-oriented coping was a significant partial mediator in the relation between supportive coaching and sport achievement. This study, which contributes to both the coaching and coping literatures, highlights the role of supportive coaching behaviors in the initiation of effective stress management during sport competitions.     

Perceptions of change and certainty regarding the self-as-exerciser: a multistudy report

The purpose of these studies was to examine the relationship between perceptions of exercise-related changes (i.e., perceived mastery and physical change) and certainty with regard to the self-as-exerciser. It was hypothesized that seeing "change" would be associated with more favorable levels of exercise self-certainty and behavior relative to "no change." Online surveys were repeatedly administered across 4 months (Study 1) and 4 weeks (Study 2) to 196 university students (M(age) = 20.17), and 250 community dwellers (M(age) = 38.44), respectively. Data were analyzed via latent variable modeling procedures. Consistent with hypotheses, latent classes (i.e., subgroups) reflecting interindividual differences in levels and trajectories of perceived change were associated with distinct patterns of self-certainty and exercise behavior. The findings suggest that adults who experience mastery of skills and physiological changes also have greater self-certainty and exercise more regularly than those who do not see progress or feel as certain of their exercise identity.     

不同条件下篮球运动员比赛应对方式变动过程的初步研究

采用纵向、个体内设计方法，对篮球运动员比赛应对方式在不同时间、不同情境下的变动过程进行了初步研究。结果表明，在实际应对中，个体在特定的应激情境中都有与之相适应的一种应对模式，但这一模式不是固定不变的，随着情境的变化，应对方式亦会发生变化，这种变化表现为在运动员自己平均数上下的波动。在不同应激情境条件下，面对同一应激源，个体所采用的应对方式具有多样性，且表现出明显的联合或组合特征，其形式多样，具有一定的规律性和时序衔接性。影响运动员应对方式变化的主要因素是环境、认知再评价和人格变量。     

Coping by individuals with physical disabilities with perceived challenge in physical activity: are people consistent?

This study examined coping and affective experience to perceived challenge in physical activity settings in 30 individuals with physical disabilities in three separate situations over 6 months. On every occasion, each individual was asked to report the most challenging physical activity of the preceding week and indicate how he or she coped with the challenge and what affective states were experienced. Coping was measured using a modification of Carver, Scheier, and Weintraub's (1989) COPE inventory. Self-reported mood was assessed using the Positive Affect Negative Affect Schedule (Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988). The data indicated that perceived challenge was characterized by high levels of positive affect. Generalizability theory, used to determine the relative stability of coping strategies, indicated that individuals with physical disabilities did not consistently use the same coping skill strategies across settings.     

Age as a Factor Relating to Physical Fitness Test Performance

Abstract

This study examined coping and affective experience to perceived challenge in physical activity settings in 30 individuals with physical disabilities in three separate situations over 6 months. On every occasion, each individual was asked to report the most challenging physical activity of the preceding week and indicate how he or she coped with the challenge and what affective states were experienced. Coping was measured using a modification of Carver, Scheier, and Weintraub's (1989) COPE inventory. Self-reported mood was assessed using the Positive Affect Negative Affect Schedule (Watson, Clark, &; Tellegen, 1988). The data indicated that perceived challenge was characterized by high levels of positive affect. Generalizability theory, used to determine the relative stability of coping strategies, indicated that individuals with physical disabilities did not consistently use the same coping skill strategies across settings.     

Managing pressure: patterns of appraisals and coping strategies of non-elite and elite athletes during competition

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare moment-to-moment appraisals and coping strategies of 4 non-elite and 2 elite male trap shooters during competitions and in particular during periods of competition perceived as critical to performance. Appraisals and coping patterns of trap shooters were captured via verbal reports of thinking provided between sets of shots during major competitions. Verbal reports were coded according to an appraisal and coping typology. Coded data as well as shooting performance data were subjected to a sequential analysis of probabilities of pairs of events. Fewer reports of negative appraisals (NEGAs) and more frequent reports of problem-focused coping (PFC) were observed among both elite athletes compared to non-elite athletes. After making a NEGA, non-elite shooters often progressed to the next target without attempting to cope, whereas elite shooters used both PFC and emotion-focused coping (EFC) before proceeding to the next target. After missing a target, the non-elite athletes used more EFC than expected. These results indicate that elite athletes are more likely to cope with NEGAs than non-elite athletes using a wider variety of coping strategies. Athletes might benefit from increased awareness of the potentially detrimental impact of NEGAs on performance and by integrating coping strategies within preparatory routines.     

追求"最佳"还是强调"应对"——对理想竞技表现的重新定义及心理训练范式变革

从应用运动心理学的角度提出对理想竞技表现（peak performance）新的定义，即理想竞技表现是指在竞赛中时各种逆境的成功应时。从该定义出发，构建了运动员的逆境应对训练模式，这一训练模式由4个阶段组成，即确认或预见典型逆境；找出合适的应时逆境方法；实施个人化的训练；评价训练效果。新定义及其训练模式直接植根于竞技运动实践，并以实例为依据。     

What makes an orienteer an expert? A case study of a highly elite orienteer's concerns in the course of competition

This article reports a highly elite orienteer's cognitive activity over the course of two international competitions. We characterize the orienteer's concerns in relation to the problems raised during the competitions. The participant wore a head-mounted video camera throughout the competitions to enable the capture of an events record from the participant's perspective. During a post-performance self-confrontation interview, the participant was played the video and asked to describe his activity in relation to the events observed. The interview data were then used to identify the orienteer's concerns at each instant during the races. These "local" concerns were then compared and subsequently classified to characterize the typical concerns of the participant. Results showed three typical concerns: (a) find the controls faster than the opponents; (b) optimize running pace throughout the race; and (c) reflect on actions undertaken during performance. Results suggest the performer used a range of knowledge-driven strategies that enhanced the efficiency of task performance, and flexibly switched between strategies and decision-options in the face of presented changes in the task status. He also engaged in various reflective processes concurrent with performance that augmented the use of these strategies. In conclusion, this study provides insight into the cognitive processes underlying expert performance in sports characterized by decision-making under complexity, uncertainty, and time pressure.     

Endurance athletes' coping function use during competitive suffering episodes

Abstract

Endurance athletes who realise that they are falling short of important personal goals during competition are expected to experience competitive suffering. As a negative affective state with implications for performance and personal experiences, it is important to understand how endurance athletes cope with competitive suffering. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate differences in athletes' momentary coping function use over time during a competitive suffering episode. Twenty-six runners (mean age: 35.8 years) completed a 5-km running time trial that evoked an experience of competitive suffering using false failure-oriented feedback. Momentary assessments of goal attainment feelings and coping function use were completed immediately following the running time trial using video-mediated recall. Pooled time series analysis was used to predict coping function use across several points in time (i.e. earlier and later stages of a competitive suffering episode) and at different ratings of goal attainment feelings. Analyses revealed that negative feelings about goal attainment moderately predicted problem-focused coping use, and strongly predicted emotion-focused coping use. Although it was not predicted by goal attainment feelings, avoidance coping use was decreased over time throughout suffering episodes. Overall, this study supports propositions that the coping process is continually adapted to competitive demands and identifies the roles of distinct coping functions within the total coping effort.     

Perception of the new competition formats in the Innsbruck 2012 Youth Olympic Games sports programme—A spectators’ perspective

The Youth Olympic Games (YOG) was initiated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2007 aiming to reach out to a younger target group. Besides the introduction of a Culture and Education Programme the creation of new competition formats was an important initiative. The objective of this study was to assess the spectators’ perception of the new sports competitions at the first Winter YOG 2012 in Innsbruck, Austria. The aim was to understand how the Games were perceived by on-site spectators attending the event. For this purpose a quantitative research approach was chosen. Based on an extensive literature review a paper questionnaire was developed and distributed among the spectators during the YOG in Innsbruck. The results revealed that the Level of Performance was perceived very positively across all competitions. Regarding the Entertainment Value, Future Development, Eustress and Rules the spectators’ perception differed between the various competitions. The findings from the study in hand provide important insights for future organisers of sports events and other related stakeholders (federations and sports clubs) with respect to the implementation of new sports competitions.     

第三届武术散打世界杯男子决赛搂抱情况统计与分析

文章通过对第三届武术散打世界杯男子决赛中运动员运用摔法技术的数据统计发现,合理运用搂抱摔技术已成为运动员在比赛中得分取胜的有效手段。通过观看录像资料,对比赛中运用技术进行统计,并加以比较,文章通过参考相关的文献资料,分析摔法在比赛中的作用,针对运动员在比赛中所使用的搂抱摔技术加以分析,将比赛中五种得分率较高的搂抱技术动作进行对比,分析其技术特点,得出结论:合理的运用搂抱摔技术已成为运动员在比赛中得分取胜的有效手段。以使现代散手训练更加直观和有针对性,以期为运动员和教练员的日常训练和比赛提供了一些参考依据。     

女子排球比赛中的“立体进攻”新探

采用文献资料、调查访问及数理统计等研究方法,对女子排球比赛中的“立体进攻”所呈现出的新变化进行探讨。结果显示,二传手的传球线路由“传统式”,转向“立体式”;后排进攻亦由传统的“两翼”(2、4号位区域),转向“中央”(3号位区域),且攻击效果较佳;中国女排队员后攻能力薄弱,影响了该队“立体进攻”整体水平的提高。     

Coping with stressors in elite sport: A coach perspective

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to supplement previous work that identified the stressors experienced by coaches and examine the coping strategies that elite-level coaches employ to overcome stressors. Three elite coaches were interviewed and were required to identify three prominent stressors that they had experienced before discussing how they attempted to cope with them. The selected stressors included both performance and organizational types, and the associated coping attempts included strategies conforming to problem-, emotion-, avoidance-, appraisal-, and approach-focused dimensions. While specific forms of coping were identified, findings also highlighted that coping strategies were employed across performance and organizational stressors, rather than being employed for one or the other. Implications for future research opportunities within the area are presented.     

单杠直体后空翻二周越杠再握动作研究

单杠直体后空翻二周越杠再握动作是近年来新出现的超E组高难度动作,采用运动生物力学研究方法对江苏体操队队员王哲攻克这一动作的全过程进行跟踪研究。在他掌握该动作的基础上,又根据有关单杠“飞行”动作理论研究的成果,通过计算机模拟,探索了完成该动作的最佳化问题。     

"第四届东亚运动会"散打比赛腿法技术运用的分析

文章通过对“第四届东亚运动会”52局散打比赛录像进行解析统计,对比赛中的腿法技术的运用情况进行研究,分析其运用的成败影响因素,旨在为我国武术散打运动训练提供理论和实践依据。