Performance behaviour in elite sports
Blijlevens, Suzan
DOI:
10.33612/diss.109492160
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Publication date: 2019
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Blijlevens, S. (2019). Performance behaviour in elite sports. Rijksuniversiteit Groningen. https://doi.org/10.33612/diss.109492160
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SUMMARY
Summary
High-potential and elite athletes are continuously working on developing their athletic performance and simultaneously develop themselves in other domains, such as psychological, psychosocial, educational/vocational and financial (Wylleman & Rosier, 2016). Consequently, athletes have to take multiple hurdles not only within their sport (e.g. during training sessions, competitions), but they also face challenges in their daily life activities (e.g. combining a dual career, in building up friendships, adapting to an elite lifestyle). These challenges arise from the demands of the athletic career (e.g. resulting from the task,
environment or developmental stage) (Eccles & Midgley, 1989; Elferink-Gemser & Visscher, 2012, 2018) and need to be handled in order for further athletic
development and performance at the highest levels (Collins, MacNamara & McCarthy, 2016). To successfully deal with the challenges the rocky road throws at them, athletes require optimal performance behaviour. Performance
behaviour is defined as the behaviour, based on athletes’ psychological competencies (which integrate knowledge, skills and attitudes), that enables them to deal with the demands of the athletic career and leads to (1) an optimal development and (2) a maximum level of performance in sport (NOC*NSF, 2019). Coaches take up a central role in enhancing athletes’ performance behaviour by developing their psychological competencies (Arthur, Callow, Roberts &
Glendinning, 2019; Bool, 2018; Wylleman, Rosier, De Brandt, & De Knop, 2016). In-depth knowledge about the requisite psychological competencies may help coaches in preparing their high-potential and elite athletes to deal effectively with developmental challenges throughout their athletic career, to maximize their chances of achieving elite level and to achieve maximum performance at the highest level. Therefore, the objective of this dissertation was to provide insight in the psychological competencies that high-potential and world-class
athletic career.
In order to prepare athletes for challenges and to guide them through these experiences, it is first important to know what challenges athletes are confronted with and when they probably will occur. In this way, athletes can benefit the most from these challenging experiences (Collins, MacNamara & Cruickshank, 2019). Through in-depth interviews with sixteen high-potential and elite female gymnasts (M = 16.5 years, SD = 4.6 years), Chapter 2 identified the within-career challenges that top-level gymnasts experience during the initiation, development and mastery stage of athletic development in training sessions, competition, and in daily life. The results indicated that several challenges are perceived in all stages of athletic development (e.g. learning new elements, dealing with stress under pressure, dealing with distractions and managing their dual career). As the number of different challenges increases as the gymnasts reach the mastery stage, challenges seem to become more personal and specific than in previous stages.
Considering the obvious differences in the nature of the perceived challenges in various stages of the athletic career, distinct psychological competencies might be necessary at a particular time within the athletic career. Therefore, Chapter 3 focused on the identification of the psychological characteristics and skills required by those sixteen high-potential and top-level gymnasts (M = 16.5 years,
SD = 4.6 years) to deal with the challenges in the initiation, development and
mastery stages. In total, fourteen psychological characteristics and corresponding skills were identified, which were mentioned in all stages. However, the perceived need for, and importance of those psychological characteristics and skills, changes throughout the athletic career. Gymnasts emphasised that the number of different psychological characteristics and skills required increases with progression through the stages. In the initiation stage, gymnasts talked in particular about ‘maximising their potential’, in the
development stage ‘working with their environment’ was added, and in the mastery stage, gymnasts also talked about ‘delivering high performance’. These
SUMMARY
results suggested that, to prepare athletes for the challenges of their athletic career and to continuously achieve high performance, psychological support should match athlete’s developmental needs, which changes throughout the athletic career.
To investigate whether the stage-specific approach suggested in Chapters 2 and 3 was also applicable to other sports and stages of the athletic career, Chapter 4 focused on the challenges faced by Dutch baseball players transitioning to the United States and the psychological competencies they require in different stages of their cultural transition. On the basis of in-depth interviews with ten male high-potential baseball players (M = 20.1 years, SD = 2.5 years) in different phases of their cultural transition, it was identified that several perceived challenges are related to aspects of transitioning to a higher level of
performance (e.g. adaptation to higher throwing speed), while others are more related to cultural aspects of their transition (e.g. coaching climate). Further, the reported psychological competencies changed from the pre-transition phase to the acute cultural adaptation and the sociocultural adaptation phase. Here again, it was determined that the provision of psychological support needs to fit with athletes’ developmental phase.
So far, the perceived challenges and psychological competencies of high-potential and elite athletes in different stages of their athletic career were identified. To examine whether they relate to athletes’ performance levels, it was necessary to understand differences and similarities between world-class and competitive elite athletes in their behaviour in terms of competencies. Chapter
5 therefore examined the differences and similarities between eight world-class
(M = 28.3, SD = 5.1, 3 males/5 females) and seven competitive elite (M = 30.4, SD = 4.1; 3 males/4 females) beach volleyball players in their behaviour in terms of their competencies. Based on in-depth interviews, the results indicated that world-class elite players differentiated themselves on ten self-reported
behaviours clustered within four psychological competencies: the ability to (1) focus on your own development, (2) take responsibility for your actions to achieve your goals, (3) handle challenges proactive with a hands-on attitude and
competencies, the results direct coaches’ attention to the knowledge, skills and attitudes that need to be developed to achieve world-class level of performance and methods for accomplishing this.
Although psychological competencies can be evaluated against agreed upon standards (Kaslow, 2004), there was a lack of agreed standards about how coaches can evaluate them within the context of elite sports. To support coaches in gaining insight in the current level of possession, and stimulating and
monitoring the development of athletes’ psychological competencies, in
Chapter 6 the Performance Behaviour Coaching Tool (PBCT) was developed. The
PBCT was developed and tested with the consultation of experts in different fields and 29 sport coaches with extensive experience at the highest level, of whom 23 males and 6 females. The tool enables coaches to assess and develop high-potential and elite athletes’ psychological competencies of performance behaviour within the context of elite sports. The content of the PBCT has proven to be valid and coaches rated the tool and procedures employed within the study of great practical value. The PBCT provides coaches numerous opportunities to systematically get detailed insight in their athletes’ competencies of performance behaviour, simultaneously contributing to athletes’ development.
In sum, as described in Chapter 7, this dissertation yielded qualitative insight in the challenges athletes face, the psychological competencies they require and how these can be assessed. From a holistic perspective, it focused on different stages and multiple developmental domains throughout the athletic career. The results showed that high-potential and elite athletes in different stages of their athletic career are confronted with partly similar and partly different challenges in different stages of athletic development. As a consequence, the need and importance of the possession of specific psychological competencies changes throughout the athletic career. The results of this dissertation stress the need and importance of a stage-specific approach to the development of
SUMMARY
Furthermore, using a competency perspective (which integrates knowledge, skills and attitudes) is of great practical value for coaches and those responsible for athletes’ development. They are therefore recommended to stimulate the development of psychological competencies that athletes require to deal with the challenges of the entire athletic career, both that are awaiting them in the near future and eventually to continuously achieve the highest levels of
performance. Future research could assist practice by focussing on how coaches can develop psychological competencies within the context of elite sports.
