Dr Faye Didymus

The purpose of this study was to develop and preliminarily validate a questionnaire to examine barriers to coaching that are encountered by women sports coaches in South Africa. Two series of studies were conducted to assess content and face validity, factorial structure, and reliability of a new questionnaire. In study one, 40 items were developed based on LaVoi and Dutove’s ecological model of barriers and supports for female coaches and a thorough literature review. A panel of experts was employed to explore content validity and suitability of the provisional items. In study two, an initial 35-item questionnaire (the Barriers to Sports Coaching Questionnaire for Women; BSCQW) was administered to 152 women sports coaches who were working in South Africa. Principal component analysis was used to reduce items and determine the factorial structure of the questionnaire. Analyses resulted in a 32-item BSCQW, which consists of intrapersonal, interpersonal, organisational, and socio-cultural barriers to coaching. The most proximal barriers were organisational (M = 2.71, SD = 1.24) and interpersonal (M = 2.22, SD = 1.04). The findings indicate that the overall internal consistency of the BSCQW was .81, demonstrating that the questionnaire was reliable. Thus, BSCQW is a valid tool to assess barriers experienced by women sports coaches in South Africa. Further rigorous psychometric assessments are warranted.

The cognitive–behavioral model of psychotherapy holds cognition at the core of psychological problems and disorders. The theoretical foundations of this model imply that dysfunctional thinking is common to all psychiatric disorders, psychological problems, and medical problems with a psychological component, and that changing an individual’s cognition results in causal changes in emotions and behaviors. In addition, when working with the cognitive–behavioral model, practitioners acknowledge that ongoing cognitive formulation is the basis of effective practice; that working with an individual’s beliefs about themselves, the world, and others results in sustained change; and that neurobiological changes occur following cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT). The cognitive–behavioral model has been successfully applied in many domains (e.g., clinical, occupational, and sport psychology) where interventions are framed around the beliefs that characterize a presenting issue. Cognitive restructuring is one technique for implementing CBT that has been applied in sport and performance psychology. This technique is particularly relevant to performance domains because of the focus on cognitive formulation; the underpinning associations between cognition, emotion, and behavior; and the links between positively valenced emotions and superlative performance. Findings of sport psychology research extend the application of CBT beyond clinical populations and highlight the usefulness of cognitive–behavioral approaches for optimizing experiences of and performance in sport.

Some would argue that the first scientifically testable paradigm that was built on the cognitive–behavioral model of psychotherapy, and came chronologically slightly before CBT, is rational emotive behavior theory (REBT). Because both CBT and REBT share cognitive–behavioral roots, they have many similarities in their underpinning assumptions and in the ways that they are applied. REBT, however, focuses on rational and irrational beliefs and the links between an individual’s beliefs and his or her emotions and performance. REBT has a more philosophical focus with motivational theoretical roots when compared to other CBT approaches. Distinguishing features of REBT also lie in the techniques used and, hence, the way in which the underlying principles of the cognitive–behavioral model are applied. Disputing is the applied foundation of REBT and is a method of questioning an individual’s beliefs that generate emotional responses. This technique aims to help an individual recognize and adjust flaws in his or her thinking to work toward a more functional philosophy. Research that has used REBT in sport and performance contexts is sparse but that which does exist highlights the approach as a promising one for optimizing athletes’ beliefs and their emotional, behavioral, and physiological responses.

Lifetime stressor exposure can influence health and well-being through various pathways, including stress appraisal processes and sympathetic nervous system activation. Although important, research provides information relating to how lifetime stressor exposure influences health and well-being. One unanswered question relates to why lifetime stressor exposure may be harmful, particularly for sport performers. According to theory, it is proposed that this could be due to underlying properties of stressors (e.g., novelty). While researchers have started to examine such properties, the majority of research has focused on their influence on appraising rather than their implications for outcomes and has been limited to acutely stressful situations. The aim of this study was to explore the situational properties of lifetime stressors that are influential for sport performers’ health and well-being. Nine sport performers (7 female, 2 male; Mage = 23.7 years, SD = 4.4) completed a timeline of their life story, followed by a semi-structured interview (Mduration = 92.44 minutes; SD = 26.52). We analysed data using reflexive thematic analysis and developed four themes: (1) the timing of stressors in quick succession creates a domino effect; (2) limited past experience enhances vulnerability to novel situations; (3) lack of clarity surrounding stressful events impacted health and well-being; and (4) prolonged and long-lasting stressors drain the tank until there is nothing left. This study shows that lifetime stressor exposure may lead to detriments in health and well-being when the stressors experienced by sport performers coincide with other life events, are novel and/or ambiguous in nature, and long-lasting.

Increasing numbers of people are embarking on postgraduate research degrees in sport and exercise sciences. During the last Research Excellence Framework (REF) cycle in the United Kingdom (U.K.; 2013-2019), for example, more than 1800 doctoral degrees were awarded across 62 institutions submitted to the Sport and Exercise Sciences, Leisure and Tourism unit of assessment. Postgraduate researchers (PGRs) are pivotal to our field, with their research driving innovation and advancements in knowledge. Training for PGRs is intended to develop professional independence and skills that equip them to create solutions to societal challenges. Not only do PGRs conduct a significant amount of research in sport and exercise sciences right now, they are also the research leaders, educators, and practitioners of the future. In recent years, concerns surrounding mental health and wellbeing among PGRs have become more visible. PGRs report significantly higher stress than the general population (Hazell et al., 2020) and research from the U.K. has suggested that more than one in four doctoral researchers reported poor mental wellbeing (Byrom et al., 2020). Poor mental health and wellbeing among PGRs is a significant issue because it can have serious health consequences for PGRs themselves and contributes to student attrition. Against this backdrop and owing to the importance of PGRs to the sport and exercise sciences community, the purpose of this article is to offer recommendations that can help to create and sustain healthy, supportive, and inclusive cultures for PGRs in the sport and exercise sciences.

This chapter presents the case of Liam, a habitual over worker who coaches football alongside a full-time job. The authors take a positive psychology stance to show how Liam could be supported to manage his self-care and psychological well-being (PWB) during his coaching journey. Tangible strategies for the sustenance of PWB are shared after discussing the evidence base for coach well-being. Included in this chapter are reflective questions to assist case conceptualization, and practical considerations for coaches themselves and practitioners who are working with them. Coach self-care is viewed as an essential arm of coaching practice that, when maintained effectively, can bolster PWB and enhance productivity, performance, and career longevity.

Literature that focuses on women coaches indicates frequent experiences of difficult social environments in the coaching community. Individuals who are more socially integrated and satisfied with their social network are likely to overcome these demanding situations more effectively and have higher levels of well-being. Therefore, this study explored perceived and received social support functions among UEFA B licensed women football coaches. An exploratory, multiple case study approach was used to collect data from three white British women football coaches (Mage = 26.6, SD = 1.2 years, Mexperience = 7.6, SD = 3.7 years). Each coach engaged in two semi-structured interviews that were conducted three or four months apart. We analysed the interview data using abductive thematic analysis. The coaches reported receiving social support that they perceived as unhelpful such as a tutor giving them easier drills to coach on coaching courses. However, they also received positive exchanges of social support resources (e.g., emotional support or providing a lift to coaching), which predominantly came from friends and family. The women coaches generally felt supported by the social networks that they had access to. However, there was an overall perception that the coaches would like support to be more easily accessible (e.g., via formal coaching networks). Given the pertinence of social support functions for performance and psychological well-being, applied implications that aim to better support women coaches are discussed.

Coach education notes the importance of effective transitions between life and sport, yet research evidence supporting coaches to make such transitions is lacking. The present study used a mixed-methods design to explore 41 highly qualified coaches’ perceptions of how responsibilities in life beyond sport spill over to coaching practice. Additionally, we examined coaches’ transitions between roles in life and sport and the implications for their health and coaching practice. Coaches completed questionnaires measuring perceived stress and emotion regulation, and a writing task about how roles outside of sport impacted their coaching practice. Linguistic analyses using Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count software revealed that coaches with lower levels of perceived stress expressed more positive emotions when writing about the influence of life commitments on their coaching practice. The findings also suggest that coaches’ perceptions of the coaching process can be both positively and negatively influenced by life commitments spilling over into sport. Further, coaches reported challenges with the process of undertaking micro role transitions and highlighted implications for their mental health, coaching effectiveness, and relationships in both sport and life. Integrating organizational and sport psychology research, we offer guidance to optimize coaches’ transitions between roles to promote health and optimal performance.

Cognitive therapy (CT) is a short-term and present-orientated structured therapy focusing on changing cognition to generate helpful adaptations to emotions and behaviors. CT incorporates various techniques to facilitate such change, each of which assumes that negative thoughts result from underlying schemas and dysfunctional beliefs. One of the distinguishing features of CT is the complex model of stressors, reactions, and beliefs on which it is based. This chapter details the key theoretical assumptions of CT and critically considers the evidence base for the application of CT in sport to date. The authors then propose and explore a hypothetical case study to bring the approach to life and, in particular, to describe the structure, process, and content of CT as applied in real-world settings. The case used in this chapter is a coach who presents with maladaptive evaluations of situations that occur during her coaching role. We include example tasks and activities that would be used with, and agreed between, the practitioner and the coach to offer practical insight. We evaluate the effectiveness and strengths and limitations of CT alongside directions for future research, practice, and innovation.

Cognitive-motivational-relational theory asserts that stress is a dynamic process, during which daily fluctuations in mediating processes (primary appraisals) can explain a range of ill-being and performance related outcomes. We tested this idea using a daily diary study to examine the relationships between primary appraisals, emotional exhaustion, and turnover intentions in sport coaches. Forty-four sport coaches (61% male; Mage = 34.98 years) completed an online questionnaire twice per day for five days. The findings of within-person analyses indicated that hourly harm appraisals positively predicted momentary emotional exhaustion over the diary period (β = .30, p < .05). Additionally, emotional exhaustion positively predicted coaches’ job turnover intentions (β = .18, p < .05). The findings offer unique insight into the cognitive-motivational-relational theory of stress and emotion by illustrating how exhaustion and turnover intentions may be intensified as a function of primary appraisals experienced during the working day.

This symposium brings together four speakers, three of whom are early career researchers, to discuss recent developments in psychological stress research in sport. Stress continues to be a widely researched topic (e.g., Arnold et al., 2017; Didymus et al., 2021; Potts et al., 2021) but many lines of enquiry are yet to be explored. For example, compelling understanding of pivotal concepts (e.g., lifetime stressors exposure, appraising, well-being) remains elusive, knowledge of the interpersonal aspects of stress is infantile, and we are yet to fully understand stress among minority and marginalized populations (e.g., athletes with a disability). This symposium addresses some noteworthy voids in understanding by offering four presentations that each use qualitative methods to answer a pertinent research question. The first presentation showcases a creative non-fiction of lifetime stressor exposure, performance, and help-seeking behaviors; the second uses composite vignettes to explore the impact of primary appraisals on psychological well-being; the third focuses on interpersonal coping among coach-athlete-parent triads; and the fourth presentation details the impact and experiences of classification on the mental health and well-being of athletes with a disability. Collectively, the findings of these presentations highlight a need for collaborative, multi-level interventions that can optimize environments for adaptive stress experiences and, in doing so, minimize the impact of stress on athletes’ health, well-being, and performance.

Purpose: The objectives of this paper are to present a series of tales on how an early-career researcher has started to unpack the underexplored topic of interpersonal stress and well-being in competitive sport. Background: Understanding psychological stress and well-being has been a long-standing endeavour for sport psychology researchers, practitioners, and performers. In addition to the copious knowledge accumulated on individual experiences of stress (e.g., stressors, appraisals, emotions, and coping) and its associated outcomes (e.g., well-being), emerging literature has turned to interpersonal psychology (e.g., dyads, contagion). A lens that has progressed conceptual understanding of transactional stress. In doing so, research has unearthed how dyadic (e.g., coach-athlete) and triadic (e.g., coach-athlete-practitioner) relationships are collectively experienced, coped with, and managed by the people within them. Such progress is reflected on herein to synthesize how these concepts have been understood and applied within the research process. Methods: Through confessional tales, the researcher highlights his first-person experience of the dilemmas, uncertainty, and tensions in exploring interpersonal stress and well-being in sport. These tales unpack the conceptual, methodological, and moral difficulties experienced in the research process and are focused on three key areas: understanding the research landscape, emotional contagion within triadic interviews, and handling counter-transference in research. Conclusions: In summary, these confessional tales highlight the lessons learned when trying to understand an underexplored research area. Key recommendations are provided for sport psychology researchers and practitioners that reinforces the importance of broadening conceptual and methodological horizons, and in developing greater understanding of interpersonal stress management tools.

Dr Faye Didymus and Dr Patricia Jackman discuss research culture in the context of postgraduate research students and provide recommendations for supervisors; departments, schools, and research groups; Universities; and the field of sport and exercise sciences more broadly.

Coping is defined as “constantly changing cognitive and behavioural efforts to manage specific external and/or internal demands that are appraised as taxing or exceeding the resources of the person” (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984, p. 141). It has been suggested that research is needed to explore and evaluate the effectiveness of the coping strategies that athletes use to deal with the organizational stressors they encounter (Fletcher, Hanton, & Mellalieu, 2006). Therefore, this study explored the relationships between the organizational stressors encountered and the coping strategies employed to manage them. Furthermore, the effectiveness of these strategies was examined. Data were collected from eight Caucasian male squash players (Mage 20.88, SD = 1.46 years) using daily diaries over a 28-day period of training and competition. The results reveal that participants encountered a wide range of organizational stressors, the most common being “factors intrinsic to the sport” and “sport relationships and interpersonal demands”. The most common coping strategy employed to manage these demands was problem-focused coping, few strategies were used to cope with more than one stressor, and the effectiveness of the coping strategies used varied for each dimension of stressors. By investigating the relationships between organizational stressors and coping, and examining the effectiveness of these strategies, this study furthers our understanding of coping in sport performers and highlights the important role of effective coping in the organizational stress process. Furthermore, the results suggest that the most effective coping strategies were stressor-specific, which has important implications for applied practitioners. In order to implement effective psychological skills training and encourage athletes to manage the array of organizational stressors that they encounter, the stressor-coping relationships should be considered to allow practitioners to educate athletes on the most effective ways to deal with different stressors.

Background: Choking in sport is defined as, “a process whereby the individual perceives that their resources are insufficient to meet the demands of the situation, and concludes with a significant drop in performance – a choke” (Hill, et al., 2009: European Journal of Sport Science, 9(4), 203-212, p. 206). It occurs as a result of attentional disturbances caused by heightened anxiety, yet the precise mechanism of choking remains subject to debate. The self-focus models have been presented as the most likely mechanism of choking, although the distraction models have received increasing support, particularly from studies which have adopted qualitative methods (e.g., Hill et al., 2010: International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 3(1), 24-39). Indeed, through the growing number of choking studies that have employed idiographic approaches, an enhanced understanding of choking has been offered. Nevertheless, the need for further qualitative choking research remains. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine choking in sport through qualitative methods and to explore specifically, the cognitions, emotions, and ineffective coping strategies experienced by elite athletes during their choking experience. Methods: Following ethical approval, semi-structured interviews were conducted with four international figure skaters (3 female and 1 male; aged between 18 and 34), who had experienced choking regularly during the previous season. Each interview examined at length the participant’s cognitions, emotions, and ineffective coping strategies associated with their choking episodes. The interviews were subsequently transcribed verbatim and the data were analysed via inductive content analysis. Trustworthiness of the data was enhanced by allowing the participants to verify the transcripts and emergent themes. Results: The results of the study indicated that the participants’ main sources of stress were related to organisational demands, such as competition and training environments, accommodation, and external expectations. Immediately prior to, and during a choke, the participants recalled having several negative and distracting cognitions, including self-doubt, worry, and self-presentational concerns. Moreover, they also experienced negatively toned emotions, such as debilitative anxiety, disorientation, frustration, and panic. A variety of ineffective efforts to cope were also reported, such as physical and psychological disengagement, social support, and venting. Discussion: The results of this study offer support for the distraction models of choking, and the recent work of Gucciardi et al. (2010: Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 32(1), 61-83) who identified that high levels of debilitative cognitive anxiety and self-presentational concerns play a critical role in the choking process. Conclusion: The results suggest that practitioners should encourage their athletes to develop effective coping strategies, which particularly enable the effective management of debilitative anxiety and self-presentational concerns. Although it is not possible to eliminate all of the organisational demands placed on elite athletes, this study has highlighted the importance of alleviating organisational stress where possible, including the provision of high quality training and competitive environments.

Cognitive appraisal is the intra-individual mechanism that lies at "the theoretical heart of psychological stress" (Lazarus, 1999, p. 61). It has been suggested that further research is needed to explore the explanatory potential of cognitive appraisal and its role in the organizational stress process in athletes (Fletcher, Hanton, & Mellalieu, 2006). Therefore, this study explored sport performers' cognitive appraisals of organizational stressors. More specifically, the situational properties underlying stressors and the transactional alternatives (stress appraisals) that 13 national standard swimmers experienced in relation to each property were investigated. Data were collected and analyzed using daily diaries over a 28-day period of training and competition. The results reveal that swimmers appraise a wide range of organizational stressors in different ways and that they appear to experience both challenge and threat states in response to similar or different situations. Furthermore, support was found for the majority of situational properties of stressors, thus extending general psychology literature to the sport psychology domain. Imminence had the greatest proportion of threat appraisals, novelty had the greatest proportion of challenge appraisals, and duration had the greatest proportion of harm/loss appraisals. By investigating the transactional alternatives experienced in relation to each situational property, this study furthers understanding of cognitive appraisal in sport performers and highlights its pivotal role in the organizational stress process. Furthermore, underlying properties may provide a universal understanding of the causes of stress in sport and may offer useful information for sport psychology consultants by serving as the basis for sport psychology interventions.

We explored sport performers' cognitive appraisals of organisational stressors. The relevant demands and transactional alternatives that athletes experience in relation to the situational properties were identified. Thirteen national standard swimmers completed semi-structured, interval-contingent daily diaries for a 28-day period. A combination of inductive and deductive content analysis was used to organise and analyse the diary entries with a focus on the following areas: organisational stressors, their underlying situational properties, and the swimmers' transactional alternatives. One hundred and thirty-one of the organisational stressors were appraised as threat, 41 as challenge, and 83 as harm/loss. Support was found for the majority of Lazarus and Folkman's (1984) situational properties with the only exception being temporal uncertainty. Imminence was associated with the greatest number of threat appraisals (47), novelty was associated with the greatest number of challenge appraisals (17), and duration was associated with the greatest number of harm/loss appraisals (22). It is concluded that appraisal plays a pivotal role in sport performers' experiences of their organisational environment. Swimmers' transactional alternatives are influenced by the situational properties of the stressors encountered.

Objectives: We assessed the effects of a cognitive-behavioral intervention on English field hockey players’ appraisals of organizational stressors, emotions, and performance satisfaction. Design: A concurrent, across-participants, multiple-baseline, single-case research design with a three months post-intervention follow-up. Method: Four high-level female field hockey players participated in a four phase intervention that lasted between 24 and 26 weeks: rapport-building and observation (phase I), baseline monitoring (phase II), educating the players and facilitating acquisition of a cognitive restructuring technique (phase III), and encouraging integration of the technique during sport performance (phase IV). Questionnaires and social validation were used to record the participants' appraisals, emotions, and performance satisfaction throughout the intervention. A three months post-intervention follow-up was conducted to assess the participants’ retention of the intervention effects. Results: Reduced threat and loss appraisals and elevated challenge appraisals were reported immediately after Phase III had been introduced. Pleasant emotions and performance satisfaction increased while unpleasant emotions decreased throughout the intervention. Social validation immediately post-intervention and at the end of the follow-up period indicated sustained adaptive changes in each of the outcome variables. Conclusions: Cognitive restructuring represents a promising technique for optimizing high-level hockey players’ appraisals. Challenge appraisals and pleasant emotions appear to be linked with increased performance satisfaction and positive intervention effects can be retained for a period of three months post-intervention. Researchers should examine the effectiveness and efficacy of the cognitive restructuring technique with other populations to develop a robust evidence base for appraisal optimization in sport.

The aim of this study was to use the cognitive-motivational-relational theory (CMRT) of stress and emotions as a lens to explore psychological stress with Olympic and international level sports coaches. In particular, the study aimed to explore situational properties of stressors and coaches’ appraisals to address voids in the published literature. Guided by my constructionist epistemological position that contains traces of post-positivism and my relativist view of reality, I conducted semi-structured interviews with six women and nine men. I applied abductive logic during latent thematic analyses to organise and analyse the data. The findings suggest that the coaches experienced many stressors that related to 10 themes (e.g. athlete concerns, performance) and that these stressors were underpinned by seven situational properties (e.g. ambiguity, imminence, novelty). The coaches reported challenge and threat appraisals and, to a lesser extent, benefit and harm/loss appraisals. The ways of coping that were discussed with the coaches related to seven families of coping (e.g. dyadic coping, support seeking) that each play a different role in adaptive processes. Collectively, the findings shed new light on the explanatory potential of situational properties and appraisals and go some way towards understanding coaches’ diverse experiences. The CMRT was a useful framework for understanding high level coaches’ stress transactions and, thus, could be used in future research with this unique population. Coaches, practitioners, and researchers should attend to the ways that coaches appraise and cope with stressors to facilitate their adaptation to the potentially stressful nature of coaching at the highest levels.

This study investigated transactional pathways between organizational stressors and their 28 underpinning situational properties, appraisals, coping, perceived coping effectiveness (PCE) 29 and performance satisfaction in athletes. Ten high-level field hockey players were 30 interviewed. Data relating to stressors, situational properties, appraisals and coping were 31 analysed using directed content analysis. Mean PCE scores were calculated and subjective 32 performance satisfaction data were categorised as satisfied, neutral, or dissatisfied. A variety 33 of organizational stressors was reported, which were underpinned by five situational 34 properties. Challenge, threat and harm/loss appraisals were experienced and problem solving 35 was the most commonly reported family of coping. High PCE was not always associated with 36 performance satisfaction. Performance satisfaction was, however, linked to the appraisal 37 experienced. A battery of stress management techniques and ways of coping is useful for 38 optimising appraisals and alleviating negative outcomes of stress.

To facilitate optimal performance, coaches require refined skills for coping with the stressful events that they and their athletes encounter. However, little is known about how coaches cope with stressors and sustain their involvement in sport. Therefore, using the cognitive-motivational-relational theory of stress and emotions (Lazarus, 1999), this study aimed to provide an in depth exploration of the stress and coping experiences of elite level coaches who are based in the U.K. Specifically, this study explored the stressors encountered, the situational properties of these stressors, the transactional alternatives experienced, the coping strategies used, and coaches’ short-term perceived coping effectiveness of the strategies employed. Fifteen high level coaches were interviewed using a semi-structured approach. To establish a clear skill level for the participants, an elite level coach was defined as an individual currently coaching at international or Olympic level who had been coaching at this level for a minimum of five years. All of the interviews were conducted face-to-face and lasted between 35 and 95 minutes (Mlength = 57.47, SD = 15.81). A variety of stressors (e.g., effective communication, media coverage) were reported by the coaches that were underpinned by seven situational properties. Coaches experienced challenge, benefit, threat, and harm appraisals and primarily coped using strategies that aimed to solve stressors (e.g., effective planning) or manage coach and athlete emotions (e.g., positive encouragement). Coaches suggested that the majority of their coping strategies were moderately effective in terms of managing the negative outcomes of stress. Interestingly, each of the fifteen coaches reported that their primary concern during stressful experiences was to minimise the impact of these experiences on athletes. The findings suggest that practitioners should work alongside coaches to consider the complex and idiographic nature of stress experiences from both coach and athlete perspectives.

OBJECTIVES: To explore associations between rugby players’ stressful experiences, their coping resources, and their use of chemical assistance. DESIGN: A qualitative research design was adopted. Lazarus’ (1999) cognitive-motivational-relational theory was used as the theoretical lens to address the study objectives. METHODS: Ten male (n=7) and female (n=3) high level rugby league and union players (Mage = 22.6, SD = 2.80) were interviewed using a semi-structured approach. A high level player was defined as an individual currently competing in national league one or above who had been competing at that level for at least five years. All of the interviews were conducted face-to-face and lasted between 25 and 98 minutes (Mlength = 52.40, SD = 27.54). Data was analysed using thematic analysis procedures. RESULTS: All players reported lifetime use of nutritional supplements and that their consumption dovetailed stressful experiences in rugby. Some (n=5) of the participants suggested that they had used, or considered using, banned substances to cope with chronic stressors such as injury, pressure to perform, and pressure to increase muscle mass. Players were most likely to use supplements and or banned substances to cope with stressors when their personal and social coping resources had been depleted. CONCLUSIONS: This study has shaped our understanding of the associations between psychological stress and chemical assistance in rugby. Researchers and practitioners are encouraged to develop coping interventions that focus on chronic stressors and to educate players about the risks involved with potentially maladaptive coping strategies, such as supplement and banned substance use.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of a cognitive-behavioral based intervention on appraisals of organizational stressors in a sport performer who typically experienced threat or loss appraisals. In addition, this study aimed to evaluate whether changes in the performer’s appraisals contributed to desirable changes in emotions and subjective performance satisfaction. A case study research design was adopted. One high-level field hockey player participated in the intervention, which consisted of four phases that were conducted over a period of 26 weeks. Phase I included rapport-building and observation, Phase II involved baseline monitoring of appraisals, emotions, and subjective performance satisfaction, Phase III included the education and acquisition of a cognitive restructuring technique, and Phase IV entailed the integration of the technique within actual sport performance. A three months post-intervention follow-up was conducted to assess the participant’s retention of the intervention effects. Reduced threat and loss appraisals and elevated challenge appraisals were observed immediately after Phase III had been introduced. In addition, pleasant emotions increased and unpleasant emotions were reduced. Subjective performance satisfaction increased throughout the intervention. Social validation immediately post-intervention and at the end of the follow-up phase indicated adaptive changes in each of the outcome variables. To conclude, challenge appraisals and pleasant emotions appear to be linked with increased subjective performance satisfaction. Cognitive restructuring represents a promising technique for improving high-level athletes’ appraisals and thus, sport psychologists should examine the effectiveness and efficacy of this technique with other populations in order to develop a robust evidence base for appraisal optimization in sport.

RELATED THEME: Psychology for performance BACKGROUND: According to transactional stress theory and sport psychology research, appraising is an important component of athletes’ stress transactions. This is because appraisals provide the basis for various psychological, physiological, emotional, and behavioural outcomes. Thus, a review of the sport psychology literature that focuses on appraising is required to facilitate a greater understanding of performers’ stress transactions. PURPOSE: The purpose of this review was to critically examine the sport psychology research on appraising. In addition, the review aimed to draw on occupational, organizational, and general psychology research to explore four main areas: 1) appraising in stress transactions, 2) situational factors that influence appraising, 3) person factors that influence appraising, and 4) the notion of reappraisal. METHOD: A thorough search of the literature was conducted to identify relevant studies. All of the studies were rigorously examined. KEY POINTS: Understanding appraising is central to understanding stress transactions. However, little is known about appraising in sport and, in particular, the situational and personal factors that influence this process. The research does, however, suggest that situational clarity and mental toughness may help to prevent potential negative outcomes of stress transactions. CONCLUSIONS: This review has enhanced understanding of performers’ stress transactions and identified gaps in the empirical literature. A substantial research agenda that addresses these gaps needs to be conducted before practical recommendations can be made. Non-sport research should be used to work toward a better understanding of the factors that influence athletes’ appraisals and the impact of these appraisals on sport performance.

The current study investigated psychological stress among parents of competitive British tennis players. Adopting a multipart concurrent mixed method design, 135 British tennis parents completed a cross sectional online questionnaire to examine their primary appraisals, emotions, and coping strategies associated with self-disclosed stressors. Hierarchical content analysis was conducted on open ended questionnaire responses to identify key stressors and coping strategies, and descriptive and inferential statistics were utilized to explore the differences between various components of the process. The findings revealed a range of organizational, competitive, and developmental stressors. These stressors were predominantly appraised as harm or challenge, and anxiety and anger were the most prominent emotions that the parents experienced. Statistically, parents experienced greater anger in relation to competition (compared to organizational and developmental) stressors, whilst harm appraisal increased negative emotions, and challenge appraisal increased positive emotions. Findings also highlighted how parents used a number of mastery, internal regulation, and goal withdrawal coping strategies, which varied statistically in degrees of reported effectiveness. The contribution of these findings to the stress literature and their applied implications are discussed.

The aim of this series of studies was to develop and initially validate an instrument to assess stressors among South African sports coaches. In study one, a preliminary pool of 45 items was developed based on existing literature and an expert panel was employed to assess the content validity and applicability of these items. In study two, the 32 items that were retained after study one were analysed using principal component analysis (PCA). The resultant factorial structure comprised four components: environmental stressors, performance stressors, task-related stressors, and athlete stressors. These four components were made up of 26 items and, together, the components and items comprised the provisional Stressors in Sports Coaching Questionnaire (SSCQ). The results show that the SSCQ demonstrates acceptable internal consistency (.73-.89). The findings provide preliminary evidence that SSCQ is a valid tool to assess stressors among South African sports coaches.

This study investigated sport performers’ coping strategies in response to organizational stressors, examined the utility of Skinner, Edge, Altman, and Sherwood’s (2003) categorization of coping within a sport context, determined the short-term perceived effectiveness of the coping strategies used, and explored appraisal-coping associations. Thirteen national standard swimmers completed semi-structured, interval-contingent diaries every day for 28 days. Results revealed 78 coping strategies, which supported 10 of Skinner et al.’s (2003) families of coping. Twenty-four different combinations of coping families were identified. The perceived most effective coping family used in isolation was self-reliance and in combination was escape and negotiation. Stressful appraisals were associated with varied coping strategies. The results highlight the complexity of coping and point to the importance of appraisal-coping associations. Skinner et al.’s (2003) categorization of coping provides a promising conceptual framework for the development of coping research in sport.

Cognitive-motivational-relational theory asserts that stress is a dynamic process, during which daily fluctuations in mediating processes (primary appraisals) can explain a range of ill-being and performance related outcomes. We tested this idea using a daily diary study to examine the relationships between primary appraisals, emotional exhaustion, and turnover intentions in sport coaches. Forty-four sport coaches (61% male; M age = 34.98 years) completed an online questionnaire twice per day for five days. The findings of within-person analyses indicated that hourly harm appraisals positively predicted momentary emotional exhaustion over the diary period (β =.30, p <.05). Additionally, emotional exhaustion positively predicted coaches’ job turnover intentions (β =.18, p <.05). The findings offer unique insight into the cognitive-motivational-relational theory of stress and emotion by illustrating how exhaustion and turnover intentions may be intensified as a function of primary appraisals experienced during the working day.

In the research concerning rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT) in sport and exercise, irrational beliefs are proposed as a risk factor for health. Concurrent to this, researchers have also indicated that autonomous and controlled motivation, as proposed in organismic integration theory could, together with irrational beliefs, determine individual health. However, research is yet to align irrational beliefs and motivation, and explore how this alignment relates to mental health. The present two study paper identifies individual subgroups, drawn from data concerning irrational beliefs, motivation, and health (psychological distress, and physical health), in a sample of exercisers (study 1) and student athletes (study 2). We examined the latent profile structure of irrational beliefs and motivation, and how these latent profiles relate to psychological distress (studies 1 and 2), and physical health (study 2). Results indicate a two class profile whereby class 1 is characterised by high irrational beliefs, low self-determined motivation, and poor health outcomes. Class 2 is characterised by low irrational beliefs, high self-determined motivation, and better health outcomes. The findings are discussed in relation to the theoretical implications for REBT and organismic integration theory, and the practical implications for key stakeholders in the health of exercise participants and athletes.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive appraisal and coping are central components of transactional stress theory. Sport psychology research to date has adopted a reductionist approach to the categorization of coping and appraisal-coping associations have yet to be explored in a sport organizational context. AIMS/OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to investigate sport performers’ micro- and macro-level coping behaviors in response to organizational stressors, to examine the utility of Skinner, Edge, Altman, and Sherwood’s (2003) categorization of coping within a sport context, to determine the short-term perceived effectiveness of the coping behaviors used, and to explore appraisal-coping associations. METHODS: Thirteen national standard swimmers completed a qualitative diary every day for 28 days. Each diary entry consisted of an open-ended stressor section, an appraisal section, a coping response section, and a 5-point Likert-type measure of perceived coping effectiveness. Deductive content analysis was used to analyze the diary entries in addition to frequency data that were calculated for coping behaviors. Mean coping effectiveness scores were summated for each coping behavior that was used. RESULTS: Seventy three micro-level coping behaviors were identified, which supported ten of Skinner et al.’s (2003) macro-level families of coping. A total of 22 different combinations of coping families were identified. The perceived most effective coping strategy used in isolation was “self-reliance” and in combination was “escape and negotiation.” Primary appraisal mechanisms appear to be linked to the coping family employed. CONCLUSION: The results highlight the complexity of coping and point to the importance of appraisal-coping associations when considering stress management interventions. It was concluded that Skinner et al.’s (2003) categorization of coping provides a promising conceptual framework for the development of coping research in sport.

Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to investigate the stressor-coping associations experienced by elite slalom canoeists prior to major competition. Design: An exploratory, qualitative approach was adopted. Semi-structured interviews were deemed appropriate because they allowed the interviewer to guide the participants toward the issues being investigated whilst providing the participants with an opportunity to talk openly about their experiences. Methods: Following institutional ethical approval, ten elite slalom canoeists (Mage = 27.6 years, SD = 3.87 years) were interviewed. Succeeding transcription, the data were analysed using inductive and deductive content analyses. Results: The results reveal that the participants experienced a variety of organizational and competitive stressors in the period prior to major competition. The prominent organizational stressors were “expectations,” which was predominantly managed using problem solving, accommodation, and self-reliance coping behaviors; “maintaining relationships with significant others,” which was most often managed using problem solving coping strategies; and “unclear event timings,” which was typically managed using accommodation coping behaviors. The main competitive stressor was “highly technical moves,” which was most often managed using self-reliance coping behaviors. Conclusions: To conclude, organizational and competitive stressors placed a significant demand on the participants in the period prior to major international competition. Some coping strategies appear to be used in response to a single stressor whereas other coping strategies are consistently employed in response to a variety of stressors. Stressor-coping associations appear to be highly complex processes that can provide a guide for the development of effective stress management interventions.

Practitioners in sport and exercise psychology tasked with service provision in any environment can decide which framework(s) they draw on to inform their applied work. However, the similarities and differences between psychotherapeutic approaches are underrepresented in current literature. Therefore, this paper brings together practitioners from 4 dominant psychotherapeutic approaches to address a specific hypothetical case. Four different cognitive-behavioral approaches are outlined: rational emotive behavior therapy, cognitive therapy, schema therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy. Each practitioner outlines the particular approach and proceeds to address the case by covering assessment, intervention, and evaluation strategies that are specific to it. Similarities and differences across the approaches are discussed, and implications for practice are put forth. Finally, two other practitioners introduce motivational interviewing as an additional framework to foster the working alliance.

The environments in which coaches help create have a significant influence on the development of talented players. Therefore, this study investigated perceptions of talent development environments (TDEs) and coach-created motivational climates among South African youth football players. A total of 112 male amateur players (Mage = 16.2 ± 1.1 years; Mplaying experience = 8.6 ± 2.1 years) voluntarily completed the Talent Development Environment Questionnaire-5 and the Empowering and Disempowering Motivational Climates Questionnaire. The results showed that empowerment in coach-created motivational climates correlated strongly with three TDE dimensions: communication (r = .65, p < .01), long-term development (r = .61, p < .01) and alignment of expectations (r = .56, p < .01). There was also a strong relationship between disempowerment in coach-created motivational climates and the holistic quality dimension of TDE (r = .67, p < .01). Through multiple linear regression, long-term development (β = .37, p < .01) and communication (β = .41, p < .01) were found to be significant predictors of empowerment in coach-created motivational climates. Furthermore, holistic quality (β = .64, p < .01) and alignment of expectations (β = .22, p < .05) were found to be significant predictors of disempowerment in coach-created motivational climates. These results suggest that coaches should emphasise an atmosphere that supports learning and development pathways to create an environment with long-term goals that are clear, consistent, and coherent.

Esports coaches are integral to the development, performance, and overall success of esports players. Sharing the same high-pressure environment, they are likely exposed to similar stressors that can affect not only their effectiveness as coaches but also their personal well-being. Despite their critical role, esports coaches often lack access to structured development programs and support systems. To inform future research enabling tailored intervention strategies for coaches, this study explored the stressors faced by esports coaches and the coping strategies they employ. Drawing on data from semi-structured interviews with 12 male esports coaches, this study reports stressors associated with coaches navigating performance and interpersonal demands (e.g., underperforming players, player attitudes), organizational demands (e.g., organizational pressure), social exposure (e.g., social media comments), and boundaries of personal and professional life (e.g., work-life balance). Coaches discussed fostering a supportive environment, rest as a relational and professional practice, and managing focus, emotion, and meaning to cope with stressors. Findings demonstrate similarities with previous research on esports players and coaches in traditional sports, highlighting a combination of work-related and personal stressors. Esports coaches placed less emphasis on social stressors but highlighted the role of personal stressors. Insights underscore the need for research examining personal (e.g., gender) and situational factors (e.g., organizations), and practical interventions such as communication training and better support to reduce burnout and improve stress management. Ultimately, understanding and addressing these stressors can optimize coaches' well-being and professional development, leading to better support for players and improved performance.

Introduction: Competitive sport is a highly pressurized environment in which athletes experience competitive, organizational, and personal stressors (Moore et al., 2019). Athletes’ appraisals of stressors underpin emotional responses and coping efforts, influencing how they experience and respond in high-pressure environments (Lazarus, 1999). Problem Statement: Despite some research linking appraisals with important outcomes (e.g., performance; Hase et al., 2019), a review of studies on primary and secondary appraisals and non-performance related outcomes (e.g., health, well-being) does not yet exist. Thus, this systematic review synthesized literature on athletes’ appraisals of stressors (both primary and secondary) and their associations with health, well-being, and performance. Theoretical Framework: This review was underpinned by Lazarus and Folkman’s (1984) cognitive appraisal theory and the biopsychosocial model of challenge and threat (Blascovich & Tomaka, 1996). Method: Following PRISMA guidelines, systematic literature searches of CINAHL, PsycINFO, PSYCArticles, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science were conducted. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to: (1) be published in peer-reviewed journals and written in English or French, (2) use a quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods design, and (3) have measured primary and/or secondary appraisals among athletes and examined how these appraisals related to at least one outcome (i.e., health, well-being, or performance). Summary and Implications: After 4088 initial hits, screening resulted in a final sample of 70 studies. The findings highlighted that research has predominately used quantitative methods and more commonly examined primary appraisals than secondary appraisals. The findings also revealed that certain appraisals (e.g., challenge) were associated with better health, well-being, and performance-related outcomes (e.g., less depression symptomology); implying that practitioners should encourage athletes to appraise stressors more adaptively. However, further research is needed to better understand the underlying mechanisms of how and why appraisals influence these outcomes, potentially using qualitative methodologies (e.g., event-focused interviews).

Competitive sport represents a cauldron full of experiences that shape how performers feel, function, and adapt to their organizational sport environment. Governmental white papers have recognized the need to redefine what success looks like for athletes, coaches, and support staff. Indeed, ‘performers’ can experience a range of organizational stressors that can incur severe health (e.g., burnout) and performance (e.g., expectations) consequences. Little is known, however, about how performers can individually or collectively experience a ‘good life’ in sport. This epitomised the significance of psychological well-being (PWB), a subject that eludes definition, conceptualization, and application among scientist-practitioners. These conundrums justified the need for a deeper understanding of PWB among sport performers; spotlighting the individual, interpersonal, and organizational leadership experiences. The purpose of this doctoral thesis was to advance understanding of how PWB is perceived, experienced, protected, and facilitated among members of sport organizations. Chapter one foregrounded the terminology, rationale, and aims that underpinned the thesis. Chapter two presented the first systematic review of organizational stress and well-being in competitive sport. This review of 57 included studies critically identified that PWB is underexamined, prone to monism (e.g., focuses on hedonia), and that interpersonal understandings of PWB were a worthwhile focus. Chapter three highlighted the methodology for the remainder of the thesis, including philosophical assumptions, narrative analysis, and reflexivity. Chapter four offered a novel understanding of PWB among three coach-athlete-sport psychology practitioner triads. Both individual and novel triadic interview methods spotlighted PWB among athletes (n=3), coaches (n=3), and sport psychology practitioners (n=3). Reflexive thematic analyses illuminated the dynamic nature of intraindividual and interpersonal PWB. Themes relating to intraindividual PWB denoted nine antecedents (e.g., recharging and recovering away from sport, novel and inevitable experiences, close dyadic sport relationships) and three cyclical factors (without discomfort, fear, or judgement; grasping and navigating stress-related growth, and interpersonal characteristics). Turning to interpersonal PWB, four antecedents (e.g., new and uncertain territory, navigating change and withstanding pressure), three transfer mechanisms (interpersonal coping, emotional contagion, and social appraisal), and three cyclical factors (trust and let’s do our thing, meaningful experiences of growth, and relational dynamics) were constructed. This chapter emphasised the need to move toward perspectives of PWB within close sport relationships. Chapter Five, thus, examined how PWB was experienced and subsequently supported by 15 performance leaders and managers [PLMs]. Two interviews and four weekly audio-recorded diaries per participant explored longitudinal experiences of PWB. Thematic narrative analyses showcased the precarious nature of the role and its impact on self-care experiences. Indeed, PLMs often went ‘above and beyond’ through high challenge-support leadership, but at the expense of their own PWB experiences. This chapter centralized vertical and horizontal relationships, and the need to understand how personal needs are negotiated alongside the needs of others. Chapter six provided a deeper discussion on the study chapters, their contributions to theory and research, and broader implications for research and practice. Followed by thesis strengths and limitations, future research directions, and concluding remarks. This thesis advances conceptual, methodological, and applied understanding of how PWB is perceived, experienced, and supported among members of sport organizations. Original contributions to organizational sport psychology are offered pertaining to how PWB can be understood through individual and interpersonal lenses, and how the support of PWB is relationally negotiated with individual PWB. It is integral that governing bodies and decision-makers thoroughly consider the needs of the ‘performer,’ harness the power of vertical and horizontal mentoring initiatives and empower their PLMs to facilitate a ‘trickle-down effect’ of PWB among members of sport organizations.

Sports coaching has been identified as a naturally stressful occupation (Fletcher & Scott, 2010). An individual’s stress experiences can impact their psychological well-being (Berjot & Gilet, 2011; Waters & Moore, 2002), which can have detrimental consequences for an individual’s experiences at work. This, in turn, can lead to coaches withdrawing themselves from the coaching environment, which has ramifications for not only the coaching climate but also for sport and physical activity engagement of the general population. A lack of engagement in sport and physical activity has consequences for individuals’ psychological and physical health, which could therefore put strain on our National Health Service. Given the importance of retaining coaches within the coaching occupation, it is imperative that researchers understand coaches’ experiences of psychological stress and psychological well-being in an effort to help inform practitioners, National Governing Bodies (NGBs), and policy makers of ways in which coaches can be best supported to create positive experiences and therefore help keep them within the occupation. Informed by the constructivist paradigm in which I operate, this thesis makes an original contribution to the sport psychology and coaching psychology literature in three main ways: (1) by providing a rigorous qualitative program of research exploring coaches’ experiences of stressors, primary appraisals, coping, and psychological well-being, (2) exploring the impact primary appraisals can have on coaches’ psychological well-being, and (3) exploring the experiences of both men and women coaches and those operating on full-time, part-time, and voluntary bases. The findings in this thesis are constructed between myself and 30 coaches (eight women and 22 men) who were operating on different occupational bases. The coaches took part voluntarily in three empirical qualitative studies which used semi-structured interviews (Sparkes & Smith, 2014) and longitudinal daily diaries (Bolger, Davis, & Rafaeli, 2003) to explore the coaches’ experiences. The findings are presented via verbatim quotes, trajectory pathways (Grosseohme & Lipsein, 2016), and composite vignettes (Ely, Vinz, Downing, & Anzul, 1997) which collectively offer ways in which other coaches can resonate with the experiences being presented. This thesis has implications for practitioners, policy makers, and NGBs of ways in which they can work with coaches to optimize their environment and help provide them with positive coaching experiences. More specifically, the practical implications of this thesis highlight the challenges faced by both men and women coaches and those working on part-time and voluntary bases. NGBs would do well to turn their attention towards these implications to help provide positive experiences for coaches and help retain them in the occupation.

Guided by transactional stress theory (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984), this study aimed to explore elite U.K. soccer coaches’ perceived stressors, the situational properties, appraisals and coping during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study also aimed to explore any variation in stress experiences across football league standards. Thirteen professional first team male U.K. association football coaches aged between 38 and 59 years (M = 43.00, SD = 6.94) participated in telephone (n = 5) or online (n = 8) semi-structured interviews. Informed by the philosophical position of critical realism (Danermark et al., 2019), Braun et al.’s (2016) six-phase approach to thematic analysis (TA) was used to generate competitive, organizational, and personal stressor themes. Deductive thematic analysis generated themes reflective of all situational properties of stressors identified by Lazarus and Folkman’s (1984), and an array of appraisal, and coping strategies. Future research and recommendations for supporting coach performance and well-being post-COVID-19 pandemic are offered.

The purpose of this study was to assess the psychosocial work environments (PWE) among a sample of coaches in comparison to the reference values of the Spanish general workforce, as well as to explore the relationship between PWE and mental health, behavioral stress symptoms, and burnout. A representative sample (n=1481) of Spanish coaches (18.1% women, Mage=32.98, SD=11.60) completed a battery of questionnaires. Results showed that, in comparison to the general workforce, coaches showed statistically significant differences in most of the PWE areas assessed. The emotional demands experienced by coaches are a risk for health, while trust regarding management and recognition are positive features in their PWE. Coaches’ emotional demands were associated with low mental health scores and higher levels of behavioral stress symptoms and burnout, whereas social community at work and role clarity were protective factors for health. Practical implications to provide more favorable work environments for coaches are discussed.

Objectives: A constellation of qualitative research has focused on organizational sport psychology in recent decades (Wagstaff & Larner, 2015). Using retrospective (e.g., interviews) and momentary (e.g., diaries) methods, research has yielded insights to the psychological well-being (PWB) of those operating within sport organizations. Methodological critiques have, however, polarized opinion on the use of retrospective and momentary designs. This presentation critically evaluates and reflects on these methods and their usefulness for future qualitative research on PWB. Methods: This presentation is informed by two qualitative empirical studies that we have recently conducted. The first study comprised three athletes, three coaches, and three practitioners and used individual and triadic semi-structured interviews to unpack individual and interpersonal PWB. The second study included five performance directors who engaged in two interviews and interval-contingent audio-recorded diaries that captured changes to PWB over a 28-day period. Findings and Discussion: The authors reflect on three methodological considerations: 1) how each method facilitates sharing of PWB experiences (e.g., via freedom, privacy, autonomy), 2) researcher contributions during each method (e.g., offering opportunity for catharsis), and 3) the interplay between methods (e.g., sense-making of real-time experiences). These considerations emphasize the need for balanced and integrated use of retrospective and momentary methods when studying PWB in sport. Conclusions: This presentation examines the usefulness of retrospective and momentary qualitative methods when exploring PWB. We recommend that researchers capture momentary real-time verbalizations of PWB whilst harnessing the sense- and meaning-making capacities afforded by interviews. Such endeavours would extend understanding of PWB in sport organizations.

Research on social support with sports coaches is limited, yet the benefits of social support on performance and well-being within other occupations have been widely reported. This study explored sports coaches’ social support resources over a six-week period to understand how social support resources may alleviate stressors. Longitudinal data were collected from women (n = 6) and male (n = 4) sports coaches (Mage = 35.2, SD = 13.0 years, Mexperience = 13.5, SD = 9.7 years) using three semi-structured interviews over a six-week training and competition period. Interview data were analysed using abductive thematic analysis. Coaches used all four types of social support resources over the six-week period. Informational support for advice, ideas, and feedback on training sessions, new job roles, and player development was used most regularly across the different time points. Coaches also reported that they perceived social support resources may alleviate stressors through stress-buffering and main-effects Social support resources (e.g. esteem) might be more important for buffering the effects of stressors and others (e.g. emotional) may be more important for the main-effects. Given the pertinence of social support resources for performance and psychological well-being, applied interventions should aim to educate coaches on ways to develop a social support network that provides all types of social support resources to help cope more effectively with stressors. Moreover, interventions should aim to alter coaches’ perceptions of potential stressors as less of a threat and more of a challenge to alleviate the prospective negative influences of stressors.

Psychological well-being (PWB) in high-performance sport continues to be a critical focus for researchers and practitioners in understanding how sportspeople can flourish (Pankow et al., 2021) and the ways in which organizations can prioritize welfare and redefine parameters of sustained success (Wagstaff, 2019). While the importance of advancing and applying knowledge of PWB in sport has been often recognized (e.g., Lundqvist, 2011; Sauvé et al., 2021), challenges remain as to how we best conceptualize (e.g., Uzzell et al., 2021), understand (e.g., as a psychological, social, or relational phenomena; Simpson et al., 2021), and support PWB across performance sport contexts (Purcell et al., 2022). To address these contentions, our presentation presents recent findings on PWB within and among athletes, coaches, and sport psychology practitioners (SEPPs). Informed by a social constructionist epistemology, we conducted both individual and triadic interviews with three coach-athlete-SEPP triads (n=12) from individual sports (e.g., track and field). We analyzed data using abductive reflexive thematic analysis. Our findings identified various factors that supported and undermined individual PWB (e.g., work-life balance), highlighted factors that pointed to the importance of interpersonal PWB (e.g., psychological safety), and unearthed mechanisms through which PWB was transferred between members of the triad (e.g., interpersonal coping, emotional contagion, social appraising). Our findings specify the contextual nature of PWB while highlighting a need for researchers to shift thinking towards a relational understanding of PWB. We recommend that practitioners and sport organizations consider interventions and strategies that foreground the interpersonal nature of PWB. This may include personal-disclosure mutual-sharing, mentoring, and the management and design of environments where the coach-athlete-SEPP triads can individually and collectively flourish.

Objectives Despite a growing body of literature examining the social psychology of doping in sport, stressors and coping as potential doping risk and or protective factors have received scant attention. The aim of this study was to explore permitted and prohibited substances when coping with stressors among a sample of rugby players. Design Underpinned by our relativist ontology and our constructionist epistemological position, we conducted a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. Methods Following criterion-based sampling, we interviewed three women and eight men (Mage = 22.64, SD = 2.66 years) who were competing in rugby league (n = 7) or rugby union (n = 4) at national level one or above in the United Kingdom. We recursively used six phases of reflexive thematic analysis to analyze the data, and enhanced rigor by focusing on a worthy topic, coherence, rich rigor, credibility, and making a significant contribution. Results The sampled players used permitted and prohibited substances to cope with stressors (e.g., injury, pressure to perform, selection) and perceived these substances to be helpful during injury rehabilitation; to facilitate sleep, performance, recovery, and selection; and to adjust bodyweight and composition. The health risks of permitted and prohibited substances, anti-doping rules, parents, and the athlete’s persona had both protective and vulnerability roles. Conclusions The findings highlight the rugby players’ diminished capacities to anticipate, cope with, resist, and recover from the surroundings, opportunities, and conditions that promote potentially harmful permitted and prohibited substance use in rugby. Collective and coordinated action should be taken to reduce player vulnerability.

The importance of psychological well-being (PWB) is widely acknowledged in global research and policy and has important ramifications for health, performance, and engagement in high-performance sport organizations. Despite this compelling knowledge, and investigation of well-being at an individual level, little is known about PWB among close sport relationships. The aim of this presentation is to explore the interpersonal antecedents and outcomes of PWB among athletes, coaches, and sport and exercise psychology practitioners (SEPPs). Underpinned by an interpretative paradigm, triadic interview methods were used to collect data on the interpersonal nature of PWB among three coach-athlete-SEPP triads (n=12) within individual-based sports. Data were analysed using an abductive approach to reflexive thematic analysis. Themes that reflected the interpersonal nature of well-being among the coach-athlete-SEPP triad included: shared values and characteristics, meaningful experiences of growth and development, interpersonal resilience, factors linked to the organization (e.g., perception of organizational climate), psychological safety, situational properties of stress, and relational dynamics (e.g., alignment, adjustment and development, underpinning relational properties). PWB was found to be transferred among the triad through three interpersonal mechanisms (i.e., interpersonal coping, emotional contagion, and social appraisal). These findings implicate two key recommendations. First, we recommend that researchers extend understanding of how PWB changes over time among key close relationships in sport to extend theoretical knowledge. Second, organizations and practitioners are encouraged to consider how interventions, mentoring, and relationship-building schemes can be tailored within wider education and support packages to augment and manage PWB among their athletes, coaches, and support personnel.

Purpose: The objectives of this paper are to present a series of tales on how an early-career researcher has started to unpack the underexplored topic of interpersonal stress and well-being in competitive sport. Background: Understanding psychological stress and well-being has been a long-standing endeavour for sport psychology researchers, practitioners, and performers. In addition to the copious knowledge accumulated on individual experiences of stress (e.g., stressors, appraisals, emotions, and coping) and its associated outcomes (e.g., well-being), emerging literature has turned to interpersonal psychology (e.g., dyads, contagion). A lens that has progressed conceptual understanding of transactional stress. In doing so, research has unearthed how dyadic (e.g., coach-athlete) and triadic (e.g., coach-athlete-practitioner) relationships are collectively experienced, coped with, and managed by the people within them. Such progress is reflected on herein to synthesize how these concepts have been understood and applied within the research process. Methods: Through confessional tales, the researcher highlights his first-person experience of the dilemmas, uncertainty, and tensions in exploring interpersonal stress and well-being in sport. These tales unpack the conceptual, methodological, and moral difficulties experienced in the research process and are focused on three key areas: understanding the research landscape, emotional contagion within triadic interviews, and handling counter-transference in research. Conclusions: In summary, these confessional tales highlight the lessons learned when trying to understand an underexplored research area. Key recommendations are provided for sport psychology researchers and practitioners that reinforces the importance of broadening conceptual and methodological horizons, and in developing greater understanding of interpersonal stress management tools.

Psychological well-being (PWB) is a pillar in global policy and holds important ramifications for health and performance, especially within the high stakes realm of performance sport. Recent United Kingdom governmental white papers, such as the duty of care report from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, has led to uncertainty regarding whether the PWB, welfare, and safety of individuals in performance sport are given the priority and consideration they deserve. Despite this perturbing insight and previous relevant sport psychology enquiry, little is understood about PWB within and among athletes, coaches, and support staff. In particular, beyond an individual lens, there is a dearth of research that explores the interpersonal nature of PWB in the coach-athlete-SEPP triad. In this presentation, we will share novel insight that explores the individual and interpersonal meanings, antecedents, and outcomes of PWB within the coach-athlete-SEPP triad. We will also highlight key resources and strategies that can be used to maintain and bolster individual and interpersonal PWB. Underpinned by an interpretative paradigm and a social constructionist epistemology, we conducted individual and triadic interview methods with three coach-athlete-SEPP triads (n=12, >18 years of age) who were working within individual sports (e.g., athletics). We analysed data using abductive reasoning during reflexive thematic analysis. We found various factors that nourished and malnourished individual PWB among athletes, coaches, and practitioners, including: personal (e.g., prior experience), situational (e.g., controllability), social (e.g., relationship quality), behavioural (e.g., responses to others), and organizational (e.g., culture) factors. In addition, interpersonal well-being within the triads was influenced by relationship (e.g., dynamics), personal (e.g., openness), organizational (e.g., psychological safety), and situational (e.g., uncertainty) factors. Our findings also highlight that PWB can be transferred via a range of interpersonal mechanisms (e.g., interpersonal coping, emotional contagion, and social appraisal). Key strategies and resources, such as mutual sharing, individually tailored support packages, and cultivating environments where relationship can flourish, were identified by the participants as ways to protect, maintain, and bolster PWB. These findings implicate several recommendations for researchers, practitioners, and stakeholders. First, we recommend that researchers continue to develop interpersonal understanding of PWB in sport to generate a broader evidence base. In addition, we encourage sport organizations to consider how interventions (e.g., mentoring) can be tailored to augment and manage individual and interpersonal PWB among those at the front lines of sport.

High-performance sports coaches work in achievement-oriented environments that have the potential to enhance or undermine psychological well-being (PWB). Despite context-specific understanding of PWB being important, we know little about what PWB means to high-performance coaches and have minimal understanding of how to help coaches and governing bodies to nourish and protect PWB. Underpinned by our constructivist paradigm and our relativist and subjectivist onto-epistemological stance, we worked with eight high-performance sports coaches to: 1) qualitatively explore what PWB means to high-performance coaches to generate new understanding of the fundamentally important elements of their PWB and 2) build a clearer picture of factors that facilitate and or inhibit coaches' PWB. Using reflexive thematic analysis, we constructed six themes from data collected via semi-structured interviews: 1) from balance to self-awareness: PWB means something different to everyone; 2) curiosity fuels development of self and others, which builds PWB; 3) enjoyment of coaching and escapism from it sustain PWB; 4) being surrounded by good people and seeing them achieve are routes to happiness; 5) coaching can feel like being “stuck in the trenches” whilst waiting to be found out as a fraud; and 6) boundary management is a form of self-preservation that protects PWB. These findings give voice to high-performance sports coaches' understanding of PWB, help to develop an evidence base from which individualized interventions can be developed, and promote the need for systemic changes in sport that will help coaches to live well and be well.

It is essential to understand sports coaches’ experiences of psychological stress and psychological well-being (PWB) on a daily basis to better equip coaches to manage stress and improve well-being. Coaches make a vital contribution to sport and, given the potentially stressful nature of coaches’ roles (Potts et al., 2023), are required to manage their own PWB and performance alongside that of the athletes with whom they work (Baldock et al., 2022). To better understand how to support coaches, we explored coaches’ experiences of stressors, primary appraisals, coping, and PWB using a close proximity longitudinal daily diary approach. Five sports coaches (one woman and four men) each completed an interval-contingent, daily diary over a 28-day period. The diary facilitated understanding of the coaches’ experiences of their worlds (Alaszewski 2006) and captured descriptions of the coaches’ daily lives (Polit & Beck 2006). Underpinned by our constructivist paradigm and following an abductive approach to data analysis, four experiences are presented (preparing for major events and championships, competition, admin and national governing body-related tasks, and work-life balance) using a trajectory approach. This method of data presentation allows understanding of each coach’s journey through their experiences as they occurred over the 28-day period. The experiences are categorized into themes representing stressors, primary appraisals, coping, and PWB. Collectively, the findings highlight that coaches experienced certain stressors (e.g., athlete-related) on a regular basis, and that they appraised (e.g., as a challenge) and coped with these experiences in different ways (e.g., via information seeking). The findings also demonstrate that stress experiences influenced different elements of the coaches’ PWB (e.g., relationships with others, personal growth) and that, occasionally, coaches may experience delayed or inaccessible appraisals of a stressor.

Psychological stress is inherent in sport, particularly at the higher levels of competition, and has implications for individuals’ well-being and performance. Athletes, coaches, officials, and parents alike are influential stakeholders in sport and each of these groups of individuals are likely to experience stress at some point during their own or others’ sport careers. Psychological stress is an umbrella term that refers to many concepts that are each interrelated and idiosyncratic. This makes stress a complex area to learn about. This chapter will focus on some of the most widely studied components and outcomes of stress (i.e., stressors, appraising, coping, and well-being) and their relationships with performance to offer an introductory text that encourages further reading. Theoretical perspectives of stress are covered briefly to offer frameworks from which stress can be understood. Exercises are offered at regular intervals throughout the chapter to facilitate transference of readers’ knowledge. The chapter closes with implications for practitioners, national governing bodies, and researchers, and with concluding comments that consolidate important points from the chapter.

Background: Sports coaching has been identified as a naturally stressful occupation. Coaches must be able to competently and effectively manage stress that is inherent in competitive sport and perform under pressure. Yet, limited research exists that has explored coaches’ experiences of psychological stress. The research that does exist has mainly focused on full-time, elite coaches who represent just 3% of the coaching workforce in the United Kingdom (U.K.). Despite the voluntary coaching workforce contributing to 72% of the total U.K. coaching personnel, little is known about the stressors that volunteer coaches experience or the ways in which they cope with these stressors. Purpose: To explore the stressors that voluntary coaches experience and the coping strategies that they use. Methods: Following institutional ethical approval, four (Mage = 38.5±11.68 years) voluntary coaches were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. Each interview was conducted face-to-face and lasted between 56.44 and 84.25 minutes (Mduration= 66.95±12.19 minutes). Rich, in-depth data was collected during the interviews, which provided a thick description of knowledge. Thematic analysis was used to organise and analyse the data. To ensure the study has rigor and provides a significant contribution to the literature, self-reflexivity was used by the primary researcher throughout. Results: The coaches reported 28 different stressors, which were categorised into four higher-order themes: personal, athlete-related, organisational, and external/uncontrollable. Thirty nine different coping strategies were discussed, which were categorised into two higher-order themes: problem-focused and emotion-focused coping. Overall, the stressors and coping strategies reported by the voluntary coaches in this study were similar to those reported in previous literature by paid coaches. Conclusion: This research represents some of the first to explore voluntary coaches’ experiences of stressors and coping strategies. Further research is warranted to explore voluntary coaches’ motivation to continue their engagement, despite the stressors they experience. The findings of this study may be of interest to national governing bodies and coaches who are at the forefront of the coaching sector.

An exploration of psychological stress and performance enhancement: Are performance enhancing substances used to cope with stress in elite rugby players? Alexandra J. Potts (@alexpotts1993) and Faye F. Didymus (@FayeDidymus) Carnegie Research Institute, Leeds Beckett University, United Kingdom Background: The professionalization of rugby union and rugby league has led to a growth in research and support for the players. Research findings highlight the demanding nature of the professional game but little is known about rugby players’ experiences of stress and coping. In addition, despite the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) indicating there has been an increase in the use of performance enhancing substances (PES) and anti-doping rule violations in rugby, it is not yet clear why players turn to PES during their careers. One hypothetical explanation is that athletes may use PES to cope with stressors in sport. Lazarus’ ([2000]. Stress, appraisal, and coping: A new synthesis. New York: Springer.) cognitive-motivational-relational theory is an appropriate framework to interrogate this explanation. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify whether there is a link between stress and PES use in elite rugby players. To achieve this aim, we explored stressors, appraisals, emotions, coping, and PES use. Methodology: Following institutional ethical approval, seven (Mage= 22.9, SD=2.04 years) elite rugby union (n=4) and league (n=3) players were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. Each interview was conducted face-to-face and lasted between 25 and 47 minutes (Mduration = 35:27 mins, SD=8:07 mins). Thematic analysis was used to organise and analyse the data.

Research on organizational stress in competitive sport has grown exponentially within the last two decades. Despite the volume of literature and the narrative reviews available, no systematic reviews exist that have sought to bring collective findings together in a single, rigorous point of reference. The objective of this oral presentation is to share the findings of this review on organizational stress and well-being, which was subjected to rigorous evaluation and synthesis, with the aim of highlighting innovative avenues for future qualitative research. A systematic review of literature was conducted using PRISMA-P guidelines and robust searches of PsycArticles, PsycInfo, and SPORTDiscus databases. Citation pearl growing and manual searches of journal databases helped to retrieve additional relevant papers that may have been missed in the initial searches. To be included, retrieved papers must have contained primary or secondary data collected from athletes, coaches, support staff in competitive sport, and have been published between March 2001 and September 2020. Key information from sifted papers (i.e., at the title, abstract, and full-text levels) were extracted and the final sample of included papers were tabulated into a study characteristics table on MicrosoftTM Excel. Study quality scores were evaluated among the research team, while included papers were shared among topical experts to reduce the risk of bias. The final sample comprised 47 studies that included 4,630 individuals (athletes, coaches, and support staff). The synthesized findings presented within this systematic review of literature proffer a myriad of widely distributed organizational stressors underpinned by a range of situational properties and managed through a variety of coping options (e.g., problem solving, social support). Limited studies within the literature focused on cognitive appraisals, emotions, and well-being within the context of organizational stress, with existing literature overly focusing on athletes and discrete stress experiences. The review highlights the importance of interpersonal stress transactions (e.g., appraisals, coping) and their influence on individual and collective functioning in sport. Athletes, coaches, and support staff in sport organizations experience a range of stress transactions that holds implications for performance and health-related outcomes. As this presentation will highlight, future research should consider the use of longitudinal, diary, integrative designs, and further innovatively designed studies (e.g., creative non-fiction) within under-represented populations (e.g., coaches, support staff) to deepen our understanding of the relational nature of organizational stress and well-being.

The importance of psychological well-being (PWB) is widely acknowledged in global policy and has important ramifications for health, performance, and engagement among sport performers. Despite this compelling knowledge, little is known about PWB in close sport relationships. We aimed to explore the interpersonal antecedents, transfer mechanisms, and outcomes of PWB within and among athletes, coaches, and sport psychology practitioners (SPPs). Underpinned by an interpretative paradigm, we conducted individual and triadic interviews with three coach-athlete-SPP triads from individual sports and analyzed data using abductive reasoning applied to reflexive thematic analysis. The themes we constructed relating to antecedents of PWB were situational properties of stressors, factors relating to the organization, shared values and characteristics, and interpersonal resilience. PWB was transferred among the triad via interpersonal coping, emotional contagion, and social appraising. PWB was cyclic in nature and, thus, we constructed themes (i.e., psychological safety, meaningful experiences of growth and development, and relational dynamics), which represented those factors that acted as both antecedents and outcomes. Our findings transcend individual understandings of PWB in sport by representing the first interpersonal examination of PWB among coach-athlete-SPP triads. This shift is crucial for informing how performers can collectively evaluate and manage PWB in the context of their close sport relationships. These findings implicate two primary recommendations: first, we recommend that researchers extend conceptual understanding of PWB among those in close sport relationships. Second, organizations and practitioners are encouraged to consider how mentoring and relationship-building schemes can be tailored within wider education and support programs to bolster PWB among athletes, coaches, and practitioners.

Objectives: Research on organizational stress in competitive sport has grown exponentially within the last two decades. Despite the volume of literature and the narrative reviews available (e.g., Baldock et al., 2020; Fletcher et al., 2006; Didymus et al., 2018), no systematic reviews exist that have sought to bring collective findings together in a single, rigorous point of reference. The objective of this oral presentation is to share the findings of this review on organizational stress and well-being, which was subjected to rigorous evaluation and synthesis, with the aim of highlighting innovative avenues for future qualitative research. Methods: A systematic review of literature was conducted using PRISMA-P guidelines and robust searches of PsycArticles, PsycInfo, and SPORTDiscus databases. Citation pearl growing and manual searches of journal databases (Tod et al., 2015) helped to retrieve additional relevant papers that may have been missed in the initial searches. To be included, retrieved papers must have contained primary or secondary data collected from athletes, coaches, support staff in competitive sport, and have been published between March 2001 and September 2020. Key information from sifted papers (i.e., at the title, abstract, and full-text levels) were extracted and the final sample of included papers were tabulated into a study characteristics table on MicrosoftTM Excel. Study quality scores were evaluated among the research team, while included papers were shared among topical experts to reduce the risk of bias. The final sample comprised 47 studies that included 4,630 individuals (athletes, coaches, and support staff). Findings and Discussion: The synthesized findings presented within this systematic review of literature proffer a myriad of organizational stressors underpinned by a range of situational properties and managed through a variety of coping options (e.g., problem solving, social support). Limited studies within the literature focused on cognitive appraisals, emotions, and well-being within the context of organizational stress, with existing literature overly focusing on athletes and discrete stress experiences. The review highlights the importance of interpersonal stress transactions (e.g., appraisals, coping) and their influence on individual and collective functioning in sport. Conclusions: Athletes, coaches, and support staff in sport organizations experience a range of stress transactions that holds implications for performance and health-related outcomes. As this presentation will highlight, future research should consider the use of longitudinal, diary, integrative designs, and further innovatively designed studies (e.g., creative non-fiction) within under-represented populations (e.g., coaches, support staff) to deepen our understanding of the relational nature of organizational stress and well-being.

Research on organizational stress in sport has grown exponentially within the last two decades. Despite the volume of literature available, no systematic reviews exist to bring findings together in a single, rigorous point of reference. Filling this void helps researchers and practitioners to better understand organizational stress and its implications for health, well-being, and performance. The objectives of this study were to search for, appraise, and critically synthesize the literature on organizational stress (i.e., stressors, appraisals, coping, emotions) and or well-being within the context of organizational stress in competitive sport. In addition, we aimed to identify strengths of and gaps in the literature to progress conceptual, methodological, and applied understanding. A systematic review of literature was conducted using PRISMA guidelines and robust searches of PsycArticles, PsycInfo, and SPORTDiscus databases. The final sample comprised 55 methodologically sound studies with athletes, coaches, and or support staff. The findings of this review revealed a myriad of organizational stressors that were underpinned by a range of situational properties and were managed using a variety of coping options (e.g., problem solving, social support). Some important components of stress transactions (e.g., appraisals, emotions) and well-being have received scant attention in the context of organizational stress. Experiences of organizational stress among athletes, coaches, and support staff have highlighted implications for health- and performance-related outcomes. Future research should consider the use of longitudinal, diary, and integrative designs, in addition to analytical pluralism within under-represented populations (e.g., coaches, support staff) to deepen our understanding.

Introduction: The United Kingdom (U.K.) is working to develop the world’s leading sports coaching system. However, women currently make up only 28% of the profession and very few reach senior levels. Little is known about why career pathways are gendered or how women coaches’ occupational experiences affect their health and well-being. Therefore, the aim of this study was to further understanding of the occupational health and well-being of female sports coaches and to investigate the facilitators of and barriers to their careers and life transitions. Method: Following institutional ethical approval, women coaches (n = 162) based in the U.K. volunteered to take part. Each coach completed an online version of the Shortened Stress Evaluation Tool (ASSET; Cartwright & Cooper, 2002). This questionnaire is a valid and reliable measure of job characteristics, organisational commitment, health, and psychological well-being. Descriptive statistics were computed using a Statistical Package for the Social Sciences to provide a broad overview of the data. Results: 97% of the sample categorised themselves as ‘White’, ‘White Irish’, or ‘White Other;’ that the number of respondents over the age of 55 (n = 6) was dramatically lower than the number of responses from younger coaches (n = 156); and that 67% of the sample was educated to undergraduate degree level or higher. Over half of the sample (53%) was employed as a head coach at the time of completion and 56% of these head coaches were employed on a part-time basis. When compared to the normative data for ASSET, our sample reported above average psychological well-being (M = 27.75, SD = 4.87), sense of purpose (M = 18.72, SD = 4.01), and engagement (M = 19.18, SD = 3.78), and reported less strain on their psychological health (M = 21.06, SD = 6.91). However, the results also demonstrate that the coaches experience poorer work-life balance (M = 13.33, SD = 5.35), job security (M = 14.20, SD = 5.39), and work relationships (M = 18.02, SD = 7.88) than the normative sample. Conclusions: The findings suggest that, on average, our sample of women coaches are highly engaged with their role, feel a sense of purpose during their coaching practice, and are psychologically well. The results do, however, suggest that women coaches require better work-life balance, more job security, and more meaningful relationships with their colleagues. These findings provide insight to potential facilitators of and barriers to career progression for women coaches and offer interesting applied implications for national governing bodies (NGBs). In particular, NGBs should pay acute attention to interventions that support women coaches to connect with other coaches and effectively balance their personal and occupational commitments.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to make an original contribution to sport psychology literature by offering a substantive grounded theory of dyadic coping in coach-athlete relationships. Specifically, this study aimed to capture the development and manifestation of dyadic coping for coaches and athletes operating in individual sports. Design: Using constructionist grounded theory methodology as a guide, a theory of dyadic coping was constructed by the authors, 13 coaches, 15 athletes, and five sport and exercise psychology practitioners. Method: Theoretical sampling procedures ensured that data collection was directed by the developing theoretical concepts, rather than a set of predefined criteria. We conducted individual interviews (n = 16) with coaches and athletes, and one 90-minute workshop with coaches, athletes, and sport and exercise psychology practitioners. Methodological rigor was enhanced by focusing on credibility, originality, resonance, and usefulness. Results: The theory proposes that when coaches and athletes appraise a stressor communicated in their dyad as significant and meaningful, they use dyadic coping to protect themselves and their coach-athlete relationships. This process is moderated by a number of personal (e.g., personality), relationship (e.g., length), and organizational (e.g., leadership behaviors) characteristics. Conclusion: The theory presented here represents a notable shift in thinking away from coping as an individual process and toward coping as an important interpersonal phenomenon. This type of coping can have long-term effects on coaches’ and athletes’ relationship functioning, well-being, and performance.

Objectives: Research on social support with sports coaches is limited, yet the benefits of social support within other occupations have been widely reported. This study explored sports coaches’ social network structures, the social support resources available to coaches, and the situations in which coaches use social support. Design: Cross-sectional. Method: Data were collected with male (n = 6) and female (n = 7) British coaches (Mage = 34.20, SD = 13.37; Mexperience = 13.20, SD = 10.41) using semi-structured interviews and interviewee-aided sociograms. Interview data and sociograms were analyzed using abductive thematic analysis and social network analysis to create ego-network diagrams. The ego-network diagrams were created to provide information on the locality and influence of coaches’ social network members. Results: The ego-network diagrams highlight that the structure of coaches’ social networks encompasses support from peers, friends, family, and miscellaneous (e.g., media). The diagrams also demonstrate that support from friends tended to be perceived as most influential. The coaches called on their network for appraisal (e.g., affirmation), emotional (e.g., venting), informational (e.g., training), and or instrumental support (e.g., cooking dinner) for a variety of situations, such as training (e.g., drill ideas) and issues with athletes (e.g., venting about a misbehaving player). Conclusion: Given the pertinence of coaches’ social networks and resources for performance and psychological well-being, coach education programs should include a focus on the importance of building relationships. Longitudinal research methods are warranted to, for example, explore the dynamic functions of coaches’ social support. This will develop a more comprehensive base from which interventions can be developed.

Objectives: Despite widespread acceptance that coping is an interpersonal phenomenon, sport psychology research has focused largely on athletes' and coaches’ ways of coping individually. The aim of this study was to qualitatively explore coping from an interpersonal perspective (i.e., dyadic coping) in coach-athlete relationships. Methodology and methods: Antecedents and outcomes of dyadic coping were discussed with five coach-athlete dyads. We conducted individual interviews with athletes and coaches and then one interview with each coach-athlete dyad. Interviews were analyzed using dyadic analysis and composite vignettes were created to present the data. Methodological rigor was enhanced by focusing on credibility, resonance, rich rigor, significant contribution, and meaningful coherence. Results: Five themes were identified. These represented the essence of dyadic coping (theme: the essence of dyadic coping), antecedents of dyadic coping (themes: lock and key fit, friendship and trust, communication of the stressor), and outcomes of dyadic coping (theme: protection and support). The first theme captures coaches' and athletes’ understanding of dyadic coping. The antecedent themes represent the factors that were necessary for dyadic coping to occur. Protection and support relates to the positive nurturing environment that was discussed as an outcome of dyadic coping. Conclusion: The results extend published research by exploring antecedents and outcomes of dyadic coping in sport. The findings highlight that dyadic coping was prevalent in coach-athlete relationships when various antecedents (lock and key fit, friendship and trust, communication of the stressor) existed. Protection and support were pertinent outcomes of dyadic coping that contributed to personal and relationship growth.

Abstract Objectives Sports coaching can be an inherently stressful occupation because coaches must fulfill multiple roles and cope with various expectations. Further, stress and well-being have implications for coach performance. The objective of this study was, therefore, to conduct a systematic review of literature on stressors, coping, and well-being among sports coaches. Design A systematic review using PRIMSA guidelines. Method Thorough and systematic literature searches of PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science were conducted. To be eligible for inclusion, papers had to be published in the English language between January 1994 and March 2016 and as full papers in peer-reviewed journals. Results The final sample consisted of 38 studies that were conducted with 4188 sports coaches. This sample consisted of 19 qualitative, 17 quantitative, and two mixed methods studies. The findings demonstrate that coaches experience a variety of stressors relating to their performance and that of the athletes they work with in addition to organizational, contextual, interpersonal, and intrapersonal stressors. The findings also highlight that coaches use a variety of coping strategies (e.g., problem solving, social support, escaping the stressful environment) to reduce the negative outcomes of stress. Five studies that were included in this review focused on coaches’ well-being and found that basic psychological needs satisfaction, lack of basic psychological needs thwarting, and self-determined motivation are needed for coaches to be psychologically well. Conclusion Future research should address gaps in extant literature by using longitudinal study designs to explore coaches’ appraisals of stressors, coping effectiveness, social support, and well-being among the unique sports coaching population.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Theories of dyadic coping and empirical literature have intermittently and inconsistently highlighted antecedents and outcomes of dyadic coping. The purpose of this review was to systematically identify the antecedents and outcomes of dyadic coping in close personal relationships. DESIGN: A PRISMA-guided systematic review and narrative synthesis. METHODS: Literature searches were conducted using CINAHL, PubMed, PsycINFO, and citation pearl growing to identify studies that were relevant to the aim of the review. The search strategy and exclusion criteria led to a final sample of 46 studies that each highlighted antecedents and outcomes of dyadic coping among married couples. Each study was critically appraised and analyzed using narrative synthesis. RESULTS: The narrative synthesis highlighted five antecedents (learning, gender, relationship characteristics, relationship role, and cultural influences) and two outcomes (relationship functioning and personal health) of dyadic coping. CONCLUSION: The review exposes inconsistencies in the conceptualization of dyadic coping, highlights a range of antecedents that influence dyadic coping, and suggests that dyadic coping can have positive benefits for relationship functioning and personal health. The findings have implications for future research and practice (e.g. when working with couples to improve relationship functioning).

Speculation about athletes who are expected to become champions is a central focus of media reporters’ attention before major sporting events (e.g., Heaviside, Manley, Backhouse, & Didymus, 2015). Despite the prominence of such expectations within media reports, little is known about the consequences they can have for the athletes to whom they refer. This study aimed to explore the consequences of these expectations by using in-depth qualitative methods to capture athletes’ experiences of performance expectations that are reported by the media. Guided by the first author’s pragmatist perspective, semi-structured interviews (78-128 minutes) were conducted with two athletes (Mage = 23, SD = 2.83 years) who met the criteria of: (a) having performance expectations reported in the media ahead of the London 2012 Games and (b) representing Great Britain within individual events at London 2012. The small sample size was purposefully chosen to facilitate rich and nuanced accounts of the athletes’ experiences. Two portrait vignettes were used to represent the data because they allow experiences to be represented in a meaningful and accessible manner (e.g., Erickson, Backhouse & Carless, 2016). The vignettes detailed cognitive, affective, and behavioural consequences of performance expectations that were constructed and reported by the media. The vignettes also represented coping strategies that were used by the athletes to manage these expectations. The findings of this study enhance understanding of multiple factors: (i) behaviours associated with media expectations that journalists might display towards athletes; (ii) cognitive, affective, and behavioural consequences that athletes may experience when faced with media expectations; and (iii) strategies that athletes have used to manage media expectations. By using vignettes, the present study exemplifies an alternative way of presenting data regarding expectations, which other researchers in this area may wish to utilise.

Objectives: For the elite athlete, media conveyed performance expectations represent an ‘unwanted pressure’ that has the potential to influence their cognitive, affective, and behavioral responses. These responses could be facilitative or debilitative to performance. Therefore, a deeper understanding of media-constructed expectations and related consequences is needed. This study aimed to provide a detailed analysis of performance expectations that were constructed and reported by the media in relation to the 2012 Olympic/Paralympic Games. Design: Inductive qualitative content analysis of published newspaper and internet reports. Methods: Reports relating to eight athletes (Mage = 23 years, SD = 2.67) who competed in the 2012 Games were analysed in this study. Media sources were selected based on popularity (i.e., daily circulation/views). Articles published six months pre- to one month post-Games were included. Results and Conclusions: Media reporters consistently constructed performance expectations of elite athletes based on previous performance accomplishments. These expectations appeared unrelenting and were a source of stress for athletes. The reports indicated that, dependent on athletes’ appraisals, the pressure associated with performance expectations appeared to have detrimental effects on athletes’ cognitive, affective and behavioural responses. Furthermore, other people associated with the athletes (i.e., team staff, family) appeared to be influenced by media created expectations. Various coping strategies (e.g., attentional focus, avoidance) for managing media expectations were identified. The results will be discussed in light of their implications for athletes, practitioners, and media reporters (e.g., development of educational interventions), and suggestions for further investigation within this novel yet important area will be offered.

Objective: To systematically search for, appraise, and synthesize peer-reviewed literature on interpersonal coping (IC) in sport. Design: A systematic review adhering to PRISMA-P guidelines. Method: Systematic searches of CINAHL, PsycArticles, APA PsycInfo, and SPORTDiscus were conducted. To be eligible for inclusion, papers had to be published in full in the English language in a peer-reviewed journal and had to contain empirical data that focused on IC among individuals in sport (i.e., athletes, coaches, sport parents, practitioners). Results: The final sample consisted of 28 studies (22 qualitative, five quantitative, one mixed methods) spanning from September 01, 1981 to July 10, 2023. The results highlight eight antecedents and facilitators of IC (closeness, commitment, communication, complementarity, cultural values, environment and situations, sharing of demands, support), three mediators and moderators of IC (appraisal of own and others’ emotions and or coping, gender, individuals within the relationship), and three outcomes of IC (performance, relationships, regulation or management of emotions). The findings were used to develop an initial working definition of IC in sport. Conclusion: A volte-face of thought is needed to shift attention toward the interpersonal manifestation of coping. IC has wide-reaching implications for individuals, relationships, and other psychological constructs. Methodological innovation is needed to realize stepwise changes in intellectual and practical progress and to develop quantitative measures of IC. Coaches, family members, practitioners, and retired athletes are considerably underrepresented in research on IC. This systematic review offers a vantage point from which composed and coordinated action can be taken to develop research on IC.

Research attention has been directed toward coaches’ stressor experiences, yet less is known about the role of stress appraisals and psychological well-being (PWB). Considering the links between PWB, mental health, and retention in the coaching profession, this study will explore primary appraisals and PWB among sports coaches. Guided by our constructivist paradigm that underpinned our relativist ontology and subjectivist epistemology, we conducted theoretically informed semi-structured interviews with six coaches (five men and one woman) who represented both team and individual sports. We analysed data thematically using an abductive approach and constructed 10 composite vignettes that describe a powerful and shared account of the coaches’ lived experiences. The vignettes offer insight to the coaches’ primary appraisals and the impact of stress transactions on PWB. For example, benefit appraisals had a positive impact on environmental mastery and self-acceptance, threat appraisals had a negative impact on autonomy and environmental mastery, and harm/loss appraisals are shown to influence health. Based on these findings, we propose several impactful recommendations for researchers, practitioners, and National Governing Bodies (NGBs). For example, we recommend that practitioners working with coaches should foster positive working relationships with athletes to support coaches’ PWB. Further, we encourage NGBs to work closely with coaches and practitioners to promote safe and favourable working environments, increasing coaches’ autonomy, and maximise flexible working conditions.

Approximately 200,000 coaches cease coaching each year in the United Kingdom alone. The reasons for this dropout are not fully understood, but they could be linked to the stressful nature of coaching and the potential for this to impede health and psychological well-being (PWB). The aim of this meta-synthesis is to systematically search for and draw together the qualitative research evidence on coaches’ experiences of stressors, primary appraisals, emotions, coping, and PWB. Using a rigorous and systematic search protocol, 11 studies were identified, assessed for research quality, and synthesized thematically to generate new insight. The findings highlight the plethora of stressors that coaches can experience, the impact of coaches’ appraisals on PWB, and the coping families that coaches can use to foster adaptation. In doing so, the meta-synthesis deepens our understanding of coaches’ stress transactions and their experiences of PWB. There is a significant lack of qualitative research evidence on coaches’ appraisals and PWB. Qualitative and or longitudinal research is warranted to develop knowledge in these areas. Such research should be used to develop interventions that are applicable to different coaching populations (e.g., working parents and part-time coaches) to help minimize stressors, facilitate positive appraisals and emotions, and foster PWB.

© 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group The stressor and coping experiences of full-time and paid coaches have been reported in the literature, yet researchers have largely overlooked the experiences of part-time and voluntary coaches who make a substantial contribution to the coaching workforce. This study aimed to begin addressing these voids by exploring volunteer, part-time and full-time coaches’ stressors and coping strategies. In addition, this study aimed to explore both men and women coaches’ experiences of stressors and coping because most published literature has focused on the experiences of male coaches. Guided by our interpretive paradigm and blended constructionist and critical realist perspective, theoretically informed semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 men and women coaches who represented a range of team and individual sports. Data were thematically analysed using an abductive approach. We constructed 141 codes that were represented by three themes of stressors (coach-related, athlete-related and organisational) and 131 codes relating to coping, which we grouped into seven themes (problem-solving, information seeking, escape, negotiation, self-reliance, dyadic coping and support seeking). Based on these findings, we propose several impactful recommendations for researchers and practitioners. For example, we recommend that researchers continue to generate rich understanding of stressors and coping among coaches who are working on different employment bases to work towards the development of effective stress management interventions. Further, we encourage national governing bodies work with practitioners to incorporate specific foci on stress and stress management during coach education programmes to contribute to more effective performance under pressure.

Despite a globally recognised need for inclusive diversity among sport workforces, women are underrepresented in the inherently stressful profession of sports coaching. This study aimed to work with women sports coaches to answer the following research questions: 1) What demographic and contract-related factors are associated with job stressors? 2) What associations exist between job stressors, strain, and psychological wellbeing (PWB) at work? Women coaches (n = 217) volunteered to complete the revised version of An Organizational Stress Screening Tool (ASSET). Path analyses identified several groups of coaches (head coaches, “other” coaches, disabled coaches) who experienced more job stressors related to their coaching work. They also highlighted the importance of workload stressors and their detrimental relationship with psychological and physical strain but positive relationship with sense of purpose (i.e., eudaimonic wellbeing). Collectively, these findings offer the first assessment of women coaches’ job stressors, strain, and PWB, and offer insight to factors that may influence coaches’ engagement with the profession. They also highlight intervention foci for national governing bodies that are seeking to protect the health and wellbeing of the women coaches within their workforce.

The purpose of this study was to understand how performance expectations conveyed within print and digital media manifest and how these expectations are reported at specific time points (i.e., before, during, and after a major sporting event). A total of 9,236 media reports were analysed using inductive content analysis, each of which made reference to one of eight Great British athletes (Mage = 23.00, SD = 2.67 years) who competed at the London 2012 Olympic (n = 4) or Paralympic (n = 4) Games. The results highlight that the media regularly reported content associated with performance expectations of high-performance athletes before, during, and after the 2012 Games. The formation of these expectations appears to be an evolving process that is subject to change dependent on athletes’ previous performances. Factors that were highlighted by the media as influential in athletes meeting performance expectations included the athlete’s ability to cope with pressure and the home advantage. The media’s response to athletes’ performance appeared to differ according to whether or not the athlete had achieved the initial expectation. The findings also suggested that expectations were related to the athlete’s support staff (e.g., coaches) as well as the athletes. These results indicate that performance expectations of athletes are a key focus of media reports ahead of a major competition, and that these expectations are likely to influence the content presented within the media reports. The results also demonstrate the importance of performance expectations to key stakeholders (e.g., coaches, sport psychologists, athletes) within high-performance sport.

Objectives This study aimed to address voids in academic literature by exploring the consequences of performance expectations from the perspective of a retired athlete. Methodology An instrumental case study was used to capture the experiences of a retired female athlete who had been exposed to performance expectations throughout her career. Six conversational life story interviews were conducted with the athlete and the data were represented in two portrait vignettes. Results The vignettes provide a rich and holistic account of the participant’s experiences of performance expectations. Salient points that are detailed throughout the vignettes include: i) the consequences (e.g., fear of failure, perceptions of pressure, magnification of intrapersonal expectations) of media expectations for the athlete; ii) factors that the athlete perceived to influence the consequences of media expectations (e.g., the amount of media attention received); iii) the cumulative consequences (e.g., nausea, lack of perceived control, butterflies) of interpersonal expectations from multiple perceivers (e.g., the media, coaches, the public, opponents); and iv) the presence of a fear culture associated with expectations, which had ramifications for the athlete’s well-being and their ability to talk about their experiences. Conclusions This article offers a novel insight to the multi-modal consequences of performance expectations for an athlete, the dominant role that the media played in shaping the athlete’s experiences, and the athlete’s inability to disclose her experiences of expectations. Stakeholders are encouraged to develop their own meanings, interpretations, and evaluations of the vignettes, and apply their interpretations to policy and practice.