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Sport psychology practitioners are increasingly operating in the esport domain. Yet it remains unclear how practitioners who have exclusively been trained in traditional sport develop a contextually grounded understanding of their practice in esport. This study, framed from an ontological relativism and epistemological interpretivism approach, involved semistructured interviews with 10 qualified practitioners (three female, seven male) who transitioned from traditional sport to esport. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis and presented via three composite vignettes: (a) My wish was to feel a part of the team, but there's no team; (b) To be honest, did I have assumptions going into esport? Absolutely!; and (c) Esport is the wild, wild west. Our findings offer insights on the hurdles associated with transitioning from traditional sport to esport, thus highlighting the important role that esport organizations, training routes, and educational institutions have in supporting practitioners to ethically and effectively work in this domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present two confessional tales of our transnational experience as U.K.-based trainee sport psychology practitioners working in a professional sport organization in Trinidad and Tobago. We first provide contextual elements of our placement before sharing the confessional tales regarding the nuances of providing sport psychology services in a cultural context different from the one in which we are currently training. In the confessional tales, we share some challenges and hurdles we experienced relating to our culturally led assumptions. The tales are titled "Boundary Issues" and "Punctuality Is a Privilege." We then share some reflections in which we explore our lessons learned about cultural humility and describe our underestimation of our cultural arrogance and the challenges experienced during our cultural reflection process. We conclude this professional practice paper by offering several practical implications for trainees and qualified sport psychology practitioners to consider when developing a culturally grounded approach to practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, there is no empirical research on second-generation mindfulness training in the field of sport psychology. This study designed Samatha-based training (SBT) according to the principles of Samatha (a Buddhist practice) and preliminarily tested its influence on flow state. A total of 22 martial-arts-routine athletes were divided into two groups: the SBT group (n = 10) and the wait-list group (n = 12). The 7-week intervention demonstrated that SBT significantly enhanced the scores in present-moment attention, awareness, and flow state. These results support the effectiveness of SBT as a novel second-generation mindfulness-based intervention. Furthermore, the concept of mindfulness is discussed from the Samatha perspective, and subsequently, the reason that SBT promotes flow state was explored from a new perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document provides summaries of four research articles on various topics related to physical activity and well-being. The first article focuses on the psychological responses of elite college athletes to strength training, emphasizing the role of cognitive factors in shaping their psychological states. The second article reviews the effectiveness of psychological interventions in improving athletic performance, highlighting the need for more rigorous research designs. The third article examines the impact of web-based physical activity interventions on behavior change, suggesting that composite engagement measures can provide a deeper understanding of the relationship between engagement and physical activity. The fourth article discusses the Fitness Buddies program, which pairs students to support each other's fitness journeys, and while it did not significantly increase physical activity levels, participants reported positive psychological outcomes and improved academic engagement. The article also discusses the use of gamification strategies to make physical activity more engaging for youth, noting both the positive psychological benefits and concerns about gender stereotypes and unregulated social interaction. Lastly, the document presents a study on the cognitive benefits of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate-intensity continuous exercise (MICT) among older adults, suggesting that both forms of exercise can potentially activate brain function in seniors. These summaries cover a range of topics related to health, well-being, and sports. [Extracted from the article]

Athletic buoyancy is the ability to handle everyday challenges in sports, though little research has been conducted. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine intrapersonal and interpersonal factors related to athletic buoyancy, as well as a potential outcome variable. Collegiate club sport athletes (N = 239) completed a questionnaire assessing predictors (fear of failure, anxiety, sport enjoyment, enthusiastic commitment), an outcome variable (intentions to continue sport participation), a mediator (athletic buoyancy), and a moderator (social support) between the predictors and both athletic buoyancy and intentions. Results indicated that athletic buoyancy was not a mediator; however, anxiety and fear of failure were significant, negative predictors of athletic buoyancy. Social support moderated the enthusiastic commitment-intentions relationship, and the fear of failure-athletic buoyancy relationship, where athletes with higher social support reported a greater negative impact of fear of failure on athletic buoyancy. Findings may have implications for athlete well-being and adaptability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case study describes the adaptation process of a female sailor experiencing several career-change events and transitions. Qualitative data were collected longitudinally as part of a sport psychology consultation process. Data analysis was guided by the meta-model of adaption in sport. Along two Olympic cycles (i.e., Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024), the athlete experienced multiple changes. These included two transitions between sailing classes, teaming up with a partner, long training camps, an injury, the coronavirus pandemic, and competing in major championships. Transition demands included building team cohesion and developing self-efficacy and mental strength. The athlete exhibited successful and poor adaptation. The applied work facilitating her successful adaptation is presented. Her adaptation ability developed as she progressed in her career, en route to becoming a world champion. These findings provided initial applied-practice support for the meta-model of adaption in sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

College student-athletes balance the demands of both sport and school in the context of higher education; high levels of motivation are necessary for success in both spaces. Studies have evaluated learning styles and academic motivational outcomes in college student athletes but there is a need to explore how motivation impacts both academic and athletic success. The present study examined the relationship academic, student athletic, and career athletic motivation had with learning styles and major (STEM vs. non-STEM) using Self-Determination Theory as the theoretical lens. College Division I, II, III, and Club college athletes took the Grasha-Reichmann Student Learning Style Scale and Student Athletes Motivation toward Sports and Academics Questionnaire. Learning styles were grouped into intrinsic (independent, participant, and collaborative) and extrinsic (dependent, avoidant, and competitive) styles. There were positive relationships between intrinsic learning style and both student athletic (r(147) = .19, p = .02) and academic (r(147) = .30, p < .001) motivation. Extrinsic learning style was positively correlated with career athletic (r(147) = .27, p = .001) and student athletic (r(147) = .16, p < .05) motivation but negatively corelated with academic motivation (r(147) = -.17, p = .03). Athletes in STEM majors (M = 3.88, SD = 0.36) had significantly higher academic motivation than non-STEM majors (M = 3.66, SD = 0.40), t(182) = 3.85, p < .001. Athletes in non-STEM majors (M = 4.00, SD = 0.88) had significantly higher career athletic motivation than STEM majors (M = 3.56, SD = 0.91), t(182) = -3.29, p = .001. Findings suggest being more independent, participant, and collaborative in class is related to motivation both in school and in student athletic endeavors. Athletes pursuing a STEM major may show higher academic motivation than athletes pursuing non-STEM majors. Encouraging student-athlete learning autonomy via education/intervention could improve intrinsic motivation in sport and classes, though further exploration of these factors is necessary to fully understand their relationship in college student-athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite a growing interest in emotions in sport psychology, little has been written about the contextual elements triggering athletes' emotional experience. This single case study aimed to analyze the inducers of an elite table tennis player's emotional experience throughout his career. He was ranked among the 15 best players in the world, and his career spanned more than 20 years. Inspired by the critical-incident method, we conducted a lengthy interview with the player, during which he related the most significant moments of his career. The categorization of the 96 critical incidents collected highlighted four inducers of positive emotions and five inducers of negative emotions, emerging over five periods (exponential progression, first difficulties, major difficulties, second career, and end of career). These findings contribute to the development of an innovative single-case-study design, allowing an understanding of the contextual origin of athletes' emotions over the long term. Finally, highlights are discussed and recommendations for the practice of sport psychology are formulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Case conceptualization is an important stage in the sport and performance psychology (SPP) consulting process. The conceptualization of a case can influence a consultant's understanding of the underpinning mechanisms contributing to a presenting concern, interventions selected to help a client, and the effectiveness of provided services. Guidelines for case conceptualization have been developed for SPP professionals, but little is known about how this activity is undertaken in practice. The purpose of this study was to investigate the case-conceptualization methods and approaches of certified SPP professionals. Fifty-two certified mental performance consultants completed an online qualitative survey exploring how they conceptualized cases. Our findings suggested that SPP consultants viewed case conceptualization as an ongoing process, something that helps a consultant understand a client's presenting concerns and guide any intervention plans, a collaboration between client and consultant, and a way to evaluate the effectiveness of their practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive-behavioral therapies and related approaches are highly prevalent within sport psychology practice. Traditionally, these approaches are delivered across interventions comprising multiple sessions. However, in the fast-paced environments in which many applied sport psychologists operate, practitioners are sometimes required to provide fast, effective, and impactful interventions to athletes at their point of need within a single session. Single-session integrated cognitive-behavioral therapy presents a potentially effective approach for practice wherein time is often at a premium, and there is frequently pressure to make an impact quickly to improve performance. In this article, we put forward a stimulus piece that contextualizes single-session integrated cognitive-behavioral therapy and overviews how sport psychology practitioners may use such techniques with athletes. We also put forth a call for more practitioners to report more idiographic case studies that feature the use of brief or single-session interventions to further build the evidence base for such approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a paucity of literature discussing how to address consent procedures as part of ethics, practitioner development, and best practice in applied sport psychology. Several researchers have addressed ethical challenges (e.g., out-of-session contact, overidentification, time, and space). However, none have substantially considered the sport-specific issues related to consent, which sits at the heart of best practice. The scarcity of discussing consent is limiting sport psychology's potential to establish itself as a more recognized profession. This article highlights some contextual issues that challenge the idea and efficacy of informed consent. It proposes adapting consent procedures in the collaboration between sport psychology practitioners and clients to better address the current contextual challenges in applied sport psychology. In doing so, the current paper introduces Empowered Consent, which is specifically designed to empower athletes and address challenges related to choosing interventions, contractual obligations, visibility in the environment, and staff trying to gain insights into confidential information. The author offers a model to enhance applied practice for those collaborating with athletes and other clients in sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to recent calls for promoting the contextual intelligence of sport psychology practitioners, the aim of the current study was to obtain the first-person competitive experiences of kendo fighters (i.e., kenshi). Existential phenomenological interviews were conducted with eight competitive Japanese-American kenshi residing in the United States. The findings of thematic analysis indicated that the participants possessed a strong commitment to earning ippon (i.e., a valid point), which was achieved by a subjective synchronization of mind, sword, and body in the execution of a strike against an opponent. They considered this to be a transformative experience, which elevated them perceptually out of the sporting context to a momentary sense of "cutting" the opponent with a real sword. The current findings also offer sport psychology consultants possible context-specific insights (e.g., importance of seme) and strategies (e.g., management of attentional focus, self-regulation techniques) for assisting kenshi in preparing for competitive situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key governing bodies (e.g., Association for Applied Sport Psychology) recognize that graduate programs must prepare multiculturally competent practitioners. Students and recent graduates of sport psychology master's degree programs (N = 107, Mage = 26.32, SD = 5.19) reported moderate levels of feeling safe, valued, and comfortable within their program; low to moderate levels of multicultural training integration; and low to moderate satisfaction with their multicultural training. Students of Color (n = 42) compared to White students (n = 63) reported less satisfaction with their multicultural training; felt less safe, comfortable, and valued; and perceived less multicultural integration. Furthermore, perceptions of multicultural training integration and of feeling safe, comfortable, and valued were significantly related to satisfaction with their multicultural training. Training programs are advised to improve integration of multicultural training, invest in program climate to help students feel safe and valued, and ensure continuing education of faculty members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coaches' knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about mental health—or mental health literacy (MHL)—affect teams' mental health climates and the detection, referral, and treatment of athletes' mental health concerns. Thus, assessing collegiate coaches' MHL, and factors related to its presence, is critical. Using the Mental Health Literacy Scale, 1,571 NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) coaches were surveyed regarding their MHL and demographic and mental health experience factors. Overall, 99.9% of the coaches surveyed believe that athletes' mental health affected their sport performances. Through hierarchical regression analyses, coaches' exposure to mental health treatment, perceived helpfulness of mental health treatment, gender (i.e., woman), years coaching (i.e., fewer years), and current NCAA division (i.e., Division III) were significantly related to their MHL, explaining 15.5% of variance. However, coaches' race/ethnicity did not reach significance. Recommendations regarding increasing coaches' MHL and hiring appropriately trained and licensed mental health and sport psychology professionals are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate expert practitioners' approaches to conducting a first sport psychology session with individual clients as there is sparse empirical literature on this topic. Nine expert Certified Mental Performance Consultants completed a semistructured interview where they discussed experiences conducting a first meeting with an athlete. Primary objectives included establishing the relationship, setting guidelines and expectations, understanding the client's background, identifying presenting concerns, and formulating the treatment plan and building skills. Building rapport was an aspect used to establish the relationship while discussing confidentiality was utilized to set guidelines. Important strategies employed to increase the perceived benefits to services included conveying the consulting approach and philosophy. Lessons learned centered around doing too much and not appreciating individual differences of clients. Findings show expert consultants aim to achieve similar broad objectives in the first session and provide a basis for best practices in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coping with the COVID-19 pandemic had implications for athletes' mental well-being. This mixed-methods study examined the influence of self-compassion on athletes' coping during the pandemic through the mediator of cognitive appraisal. The prospective design involved 90 athletes completing two online surveys 1 week apart measuring self-compassion, cognitive appraisal, and coping strategies. The PROCESS macro was used for the mediation analysis. A qualitative thematic analysis was used to explore athletes' responses to the pandemic during the second survey. Self-compassion had an indirect negative effect on avoidance-focused coping by appraising the pandemic as less of a threat (95% confidence interval [−0.20, −0.001]) and had a total effect on emotion-focused coping (95% confidence interval [0.02, 0.40]). Based on the thematic analysis, athletes described many raw emotions and a variety of coping strategies during the pandemic. Self-compassion demonstrated promising benefits to athletes who dealt with the challenging situation of the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organizational culture in sports affects well-being, performance, and overall success. Although team culture has been explored within able-bodied teams, little is known about culture development within parasport. Using a descriptive case study approach, our study examined the culture development and experiences of an elite parasport team. Two semistructured individual telephone interviews were conducted with nine participants (athletes and staff), and one athlete-participant completed one interview. An inductive thematic analysis revealed two themes: approach to culture development and team culture components. Culture development was linked with facilitative leadership and important resources. This supported the team to create their shared values and mechanisms, including a behavioral framework, other artifacts (e.g., shared language and team motto), and a relaxed environment. These helped to maintain their agreed culture and benefited their well-being, progress, and team cohesion. Our results offer a starting point regarding research into the culture of elite parasport and have practical implications for managers, coaches, and psychologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article comments on a recent study about high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and its methodological problems. The authors agree with the study's identification of issues in research on the affective responses to HIIT but argue that the study's guidance on quantifying exercise intensity during HIIT is flawed. They propose using a percentage of peak workload during an incremental test as a more appropriate measure of exercise intensity. The authors also criticize the use of heart rate as a measure of intensity during interval exercise and suggest using metabolic landmarks instead. They provide examples from other studies to support their argument. Additionally, they refute criticisms regarding the appropriateness of HIIT intensities in studies comparing affective and enjoyment responses. [Extracted from the article]

Researchers have established factors that impair (e.g., stress) or facilitate (e.g., occupational recovery) health among professionals operating in sport and performance (e.g., coaches). However, there is a paucity of research examining factors that impair or facilitate the health of sport psychology professionals. Given that sport psychology professionals have an obligation to manage their health to maintain effective service provision, research is needed to fill this gap. The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of burnout and health among certified mental performance consultants. Participants completed measures of perceived stress, burnout, occupational recovery, and health-related quality of life. Regression results, including a moderator analysis, indicated that perceived stress and occupational recovery predicted burnout, while occupational recovery moderated the relationship between perceived stress and burnout. Perceived stress and burnout further predicted health-related quality of life. Recommendations include certified mental performance consultants spending nonwork time in low-effort and/or physical activities, as well as exerting autonomy over nonwork time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study explored how applied sport psychology practitioners adopting client-led stances described two of their athlete interactions. Applied sport psychology practitioners (8 female and 12 male, mean age = 33.76 years, SD = 4.70), describing themselves as client-led practitioners, discussed two athlete consultancies during open-ended interviews. Data analysis involved examining the narrative structure of practitioners' stories and identifying the features of client-led service delivery present in the accounts. The participants' stories reflected a collaborative empiricism narrative in which they collaborated with athletes to resolve client issues. The stories contained features of client-led person-centered therapy and the use of practitioner-led techniques and interventions. The results point to applied implications such as providing accounts of service delivery on which practitioners can reflect as they consider the ways they wish to help clients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we present two studies that provide the first evidence on sport psychology services in Gaelic games. In Study 1, 36 participants providing support for mental aspects of performance in Gaelic games completed a survey that ascertained an initial insight into practitioners and the services they provided in this context. Findings of Study 1 suggested considerable engagement with psychology support in Gaelic games but also highlighted a range of challenges with service delivery. In Study 2, we interviewed 11 sport psychology consultants to understand the active ingredients that contribute to context-driven sport psychology in Gaelic games and the role of contextual intelligence. Findings from Study 2 offered insights into how participants shaped their services to the context and how the active ingredients for effective service delivery, including working alliances, buy-in, and engagement with individuals within the performance environment, could be enabled or constrained in this context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first article discusses a study on the long-term effects of a behavior change intervention called BEAT Cancer on breast cancer survivors. The intervention included counseling and exercise sessions, and participants reported improved health outcomes and quality of life. However, objective measures of physical activity did not show a difference between the intervention and control groups. The second article explores the impact of self-monitoring prompts on physical activity among young adults. The study found that daily step counts were positively associated with the frequency of self-monitoring prompts. The third article focuses on team flow among firefighters and its relationship with teamwork stressors and resources. The study found that effective communication, support, and coordination were associated with team flow, while ineffective support, leadership, and coordination were negatively associated. The fourth article examines how elite athletes reflect on sport injury narratives. The study found that athletes challenged dominant narratives and used different narrative techniques to reconceptualize time lost due to injury. The fifth article critically examines the use of SMART goals in sport and exercise psychology, finding that there is little evidence to support the effectiveness of specific goal parameters. The final article explores the role of coaches in communicating about body image among female athletes, emphasizing the need for cultural considerations in addressing body image concerns. [Extracted from the article]

Meta-analysis is a powerful tool in sport and exercise psychology. However, it has a number of pitfalls, and some lead to ill-advised comparisons and overestimation of effects. The impetus for this research note is provided by a recent systematic review of meta-analyses that examined the correlates of sport performance and has fallen foul of some of the pitfalls. Although the systematic review potentially has great value for researchers and practitioners alike, it treats effects from correlational and intervention studies as yielding equivalent information, double-counts multiple studies, and uses an effect size for correlational studies (Cohen's d) that provides an extreme contrast of unclear practical relevance. These issues impact interpretability, bias, and usefulness of the findings. This methodological note explains each pitfall and illustrates use of an appropriate equivalent effect size for correlational studies (Mathur and VanderWeele's d) to help researchers avoid similar issues in future work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manual Reaction Time measures have been widely used to study interactions between perceptual, cognitive, and motor functions. The Stimulus-Response Compatibility is a phenomenon characterized through faster Manual Reaction Times when stimuli and response locations coincide (correspondent condition) than when they are on different sides (noncorrespondent condition). The present study adapted a protocol to study if the Stimulus-Response Compatibility effect can be detected during a virtual combat simulation. Twenty-seven participants were instructed to defend themselves by clicking a key in order to block the presented punch. Videos of two fighters were used, granting two types of basic strokes: the back fist, a punch performed with the dorsal part of the fighter's hand, starting at the opposite side to which it is directed; and the hook punch, performed with a clenched fist starting and finishing ipsilaterally. The Manual Reaction Times were different between the correspondent and noncorrespondent conditions. F(1, 26) = 9.925; p < .004; η² = .276. with an Stimulus-Response Compatibility effect of 72 ms. Errors were also different, F(1, 26) = 23.199; p < .001; η² = .472. between the correspondent (13%) and the noncorrespondent conditions (23%). The study concluded that spatial codes presented at the beginning of the punch movement perception substantially influenced the response execution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study examined the viewing behavior of individuals (N = 515) who watched the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022 to understand how second-screen usage may be related to the perception of the broadcast as a media event while considering psychological factors associated with media exposure. media event perception, engagement, transportation, and enjoyment were positively correlated with match-related and negatively correlated with match-unrelated second screen usage. Engagement mediated the relationship between independent variables (media event perception, engagement, enjoyment, and transportation) and match-related and unrelated second screen usage. The results provide valuable insights into how engagement and other factors are related to second screen usage during such a media event televised sports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between sports motivation and several sports psychological variables (Perceived Motivational Climate, Coping Perceptions and Anxiety). The data were collected from Hungarian ice hockey players (n = 293) playing in the Hungarian hockey academy system, using the Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire-2 (PMCSQ-2) and the Athletic Coping Skill Inventory-28 (ACSI-28) of Smith et al. (1995) and the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2) of Martens et al. (1990). The analysis revealed four significantly different individual sports motivation profiles, and these differed significantly in terms of athletes' anxiety, coping, and perceived motivational climate. In addition, the research highlighted the importance of diagnosing and addressing amotivation to improve overall sports performance, self-confidence, and coping skills when facing adversity. Limitations and further research directions are also considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examines United Arab Emirates (UAE) university students' electronic sports habits and motivations using the theory of uses and rewards and the motivation scale for sports consumption (MSSC). A deliberate sample of 172 participants was surveyed using an electronic questionnaire to give their perspectives on various electronic sports-related topics. Most respondents considered e-sports a serious sport and valued it as a social practice. They practiced e-sports for two to four hours daily, preferring multiplayer games, confirming the collective tendency. Live-streaming services have helped electronic sports to become mainstream. Considering the UAE's enthusiasm, most respondents played e-sports professionally. Finally, indirect realization, aesthetics, and escapism motivated e-sports players. These findings shed light on the perspectives and experiences of UAE residents who participate in electronic sports and may be used to guide efforts to legitimize and mainstream the activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LeBron James made NBA history on February 7, 2023, when he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 39-year-old record to become the all-time leading scorer. Abdul-Jabbar responded to James' achievement with grace and explained why he was not intimidated by it. In this article, we review several examples of athletes who accorded with or feuded against their records getting broken by other athletes. We relate such emotional and public responses to achievement motivation theory in sports as well as to athletes' adaptation to retirement. We further discuss social concepts and factors, such as personal rivalries, political collisions, generation differences, and technology. We believe that while actual responses from athletes might be unpredictable, there are several ideas that can be conceived concerning this phenomenon. We conclude by suggesting avenues for exploration in this under-researched area in sports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been considerable discussion for more than 50 years of how scientists and practitioners in elite level sport can work collaboratively to ensure that evidence-based practice augments the sport performance and human development of elite amateur and professional athletes. The bridging of these two, often disparate competencies, science and practice, though considered at the conceptual level, continues to be scarcely evidenced within the international sport science community. Much of the research that frames the experiences of elite athletes and their consequent needs, is heavily influenced by scientists, often without direct reciprocity to bridge science, theory, and applied context. The knowledge influencing these interventions has derived from qualitative methods, such as semi-structured interviews, surveys, and focus groups, as well as a breadth of psychometric assessments. Though these approaches to gathering robust data are a necessary part of inquiry, they often produce decontextualized data collection strategies and results, which can lead to generalized, ineffective practices in sport performance environments. Within this submission, the first author cooperated with an international team of scientist-practitioners who are well versed in elite sport to delineate ecologically sound science-practice reciprocity. The authors consider the strengths and weaknesses of conventional qualitative research strategies in terms of their utility and the parlance of evidence into intervention and world-class performance. Two emerging, context driven approaches to inquiry are proposed; arts-based methods and an idiosyncratic approach to ethnography to encourage the reader toward an expanded selection of inquiry approaches from which better understanding and intervention can be generated. This contribution conclude with summary points to open further possibilities for innovative science to practice approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The war experience (WE) presents a highly troublesome period for sport performers, with severe effects on their lives and career trajectories. In this article, we initially conceptualize the WE through the scheme of change for sport psychology practice (Samuel & Tenenbaum, 2011a). The WE is considered a longitudinal, multifaceted, unpredicted, noncontrolled, negative change-event, developed over four distinct stages with specific demands and responses: (a) a pre-war stage, (b) War stage-A accompanied by instability and confusion, (c) War stage-B characterized by active coping or regression, and (d) War stage-C; return to sport activity, modification of activity, or retirement. The development of this change process in sport performers' careers is discussed within the context of the 2023 Israel-Hamas war. Thereafter, we discuss applied practice efforts to support sport performers through the WE. The conclusions offer future avenues for researchers and practitioners when attempting to evaluate and cope with this unique change-event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Sports anxiety is an important obstacle for athletes' performance, negatively affecting their life satisfaction levels. Positive thinking skills can contribute to overcoming such negative conditions. This study explored the relationships between sport anxiety, positive thinking skills, and life satisfaction in male athletes. A total of 338 male athletes participated voluntarily, using convenience sampling. The study employed a relational survey model, and data were collected through the Sports Anxiety Scale-2, Positive Thinking Skills Scale, and Life Satisfaction Scale. Analyses, including Pearson's correlation, were performed using the JAMOVI program, with mediation analysis verified through bootstrapping. Results indicated a negative correlation between sport anxiety and life satisfaction, and a positive correlation between positive thinking skills and life satisfaction. Moreover, positive thinking skills were found to moderate the relationship between sport anxiety and life satisfaction. These insights underscore the value of developing positive thinking skills to help athletes reduce anxiety and enhance their life satisfaction. Therefore, incorporating strategies to foster these skills in training programs could be crucial for improving athletes' overall wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract\nLay summaryThis article analyzes the vulnerable and precarious nature of applied sport psychology practice. Adopting a longitudinal approach over an 18-month period, data were collected through 41 semi-structured interviews with six applied sport psychologists working across soccer, swimming, and athletics. Interviews took place at 6–8 week intervals, and transcripts were iteratively analyzed with Kalleberg’s theorization of precarity and Kelchtermans’ writings around vulnerability adopted as the primary heuristic devices. Four themes were identified, highlighting how: (a) “precarious employment conditions”; (b) “constrained decision making”; (c) “challenges to demonstrating impact”; and (d) “contrasting beliefs of appropriate practice” typified practitioners’ applied experiences. Our findings and analysis advance discussions about the precarious nature of applied sport psychology work by recognizing some of the inherent structural vulnerabilities that characterize the role. Insights developed from this research have important implications for the profession, including the preparation, development, employment and ongoing support of its workforce.This study explores the challenges faced by sport psychology practitioners, highlighting the limited availability of paid, full-time opportunities, a lack of control over working conditions, and difficulties in demonstrating impact. The findings carry significant implications for the profession, particularly in terms of preparing, developing, employing, and providing ongoing support to applied practitioners. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICEIncreased awareness of the precarious and vulnerable nature of applied sport psychology work can lead to better preparedness of practitioners for the challenges they may face.Educating practitioners about navigating micro-political environments can enhance their effectiveness in working with athletes and teams.Understanding the importance of employment contracts can empower practitioners to negotiate more appropriate terms and improve their professional standing within the field.Increased awareness of the precarious and vulnerable nature of applied sport psychology work can lead to better preparedness of practitioners for the challenges they may face.Educating practitioners about navigating micro-political environments can enhance their effectiveness in working with athletes and teams.Understanding the importance of employment contracts can empower practitioners to negotiate more appropriate terms and improve their professional standing within the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To synthesize the best available evidence regarding the perceptions and current clinical practices of athletic trainers (ATs) in integrating psychological skills into patient management. PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL; via EBSCOhost), PsycInfo (via EBSCOhost), SPORTDiscus (via EBSCOhost), and Scopus (via Elsevier). Studies had to investigate the current clinical practices and perceptions of certified ATs in integrating psychologically informed practice for patient management. Studies that had level 4 evidence or higher were included. Studies were excluded if they were published before 1999, the primary language was not English, they involved athletic training students or other rehabilitation specialists, or they explored the athlete's and/or patient's perception of psychosocial techniques or strategies. This systematic review is reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 Statement in Exercise, Rehabilitation, Sport Medicine and Sports Science guidance. A total of 1857 articles were reviewed, and 8 met inclusion criteria. Two studies had level 2a evidence, 4 studies had level 4a evidence, and 2 studies had level 4b evidence. Six studies were rated as good quality, and 2 studies were rated as lesser quality. The included studies demonstrated a high-quality body of evidence with consistent results, which strengthens the review findings. Athletic trainers have the knowledge to identify when athletes are psychologically affected by injury and can identify common psychological responses. Although ATs acknowledge the value of implementing psychosocial strategies, a lack of confidence in implementing basic or advanced techniques, feeling underprepared by their educational program, and a lack of clinical training appear to affect the use of psychosocial techniques in clinical practice and the rate of mental health recognition and referral among ATs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Modified Balance Error Scoring System (mBESS) remains the standard balance tool for evaluating sport-related concussion. Discrepancies between error and objective sway scoring remain a topic of assessment measures. The purpose was to examine sex differences between error and sway index scores and association between scores on the mBESS in collegiate and high school athletes. 119 athletes completed the mBESS on a Biodex BioSway. Measures consisted of mBESS errors and sway index scores produced by the BioSway. No sex differences were observed on mBESS errors and sway index scores by competition level and the overall sample. Moderate associations were observed between error and sway index scoring for single and tandem stances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mental health has become increasingly important for the applied sport psychologist, a factor which may include screening, promoting literacy, individual support, and educational programs. However, despite of this importance, few checks have been made on the perceived preparedness of sport psychologists to undertake this work and whether differences may exist between those recently qualified compared to experienced practitioners. Underpinned by the theoretical domains framework, 62 Health and Care Professions Council registered practitioner sport and exercise psychologists (30 females: age: M = 46.13 years and SD = 10.44 years and 32 males: age: M = 43.25 years and SD = 10.47 years) completed an online survey to assess whether they felt equipped to address the mental health dimension of their work. The survey comprised three sections: Demographic and background information, a series of statements (n = 31) adapted from the determinants of implementation behavior questionnaire, and three questions with space for free text comments, inviting participants to explain their level of preparedness to incorporate and deliver mental health interventions. A 6 × 12 analyses of variance yielded significant differences between domain ratings but not across levels of experience or interactions. Data from free text comments were analyzed thematically and categorized into the following three themes: (a) complementing the performance role, (b) awareness of professional boundaries, and (c) importance of further continued professional development. Combined, although practitioners emphasized importance, preparedness ratings ranged from neutral to somewhat agree, calling for further specific sport psychology‐based mental health training. Highlights: An online survey, underpinned by the theoretical domains framework, was used to assess whether registered sport and exercise psychology practitioners in the United Kingdom felt prepared to undertake the mental health dimension of their work.Analysis through ANOVA yielded no significant differences across experience or interactions, suggesting that preparedness and implementation do not differ regardless of whether recently qualified or experienced practitioners. Furthermore, average ratings across all domains revealed practitioners feel only "somewhat prepared" to address client needs in this area.Free text comments provided additional insight to levels of preparedness where practitioners noted the frequent necessity to offer mental health support, why it complements the performance focus, and how they are uniquely placed to understand the specific contextual demands, yet were cognizant of their competencies, knowledge base, and boundaries.Calls for further specific sport psychology‐based mental health training are warranted by the professional bodies in the United Kingdom to ensure practitioners feel equipped to address this increasingly important factor of their work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research is to determine the push and pull motivations of sport climbers within the scope of outdoor and adventure tourism. The phenomenology approach, which is one of the qualitative research methods, was preferred in the study. The study group consisted of twenty-one (21) rock climbers who were determined by convenience and criterion sampling methods. The research was conducted in the Köklüce Canyon region in Gaziantep. As a result of the analysis, two main themes (push and pull motivation), twelve sub-themes and thirty codes were emerged. It was determined that the most important pushing motivations for choosing sport climbing were spiritual regeneration and then socialization. Having fun, being happy, meeting new people and socializing at the destination were important intrinsic motivation reasons of the climbers. The most important pulling motivations in choosing the climbing area were the results such as having many and different difficulty levels of the routes and the ease of transportation. As the routes in the climbing destination have a wide variety, quality and are in different difficulty; the easy access to the region and the proximity of the region are an important environmental motivation. As a result, it could be said these motivation sources for the rock-climbing destination provide opportunities for diversifying the adventure tourism products, providing a sustainable adventure tourism, and guiding the relevant federations and local governments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars and practitioners have attended to and shown support for the promotion of a culturally sensitive approach within applied sport psychology. Yet, a cultural competence knowledge-behavior gap among sport psychology practitioners (SPPs) remains prevalent along with a lack of practical guidance on how SPPs can engage in a cultural praxis. In order to ensure that SPPs are helping all clients (e.g., athletes) thrive—not merely cope with forms of social identity oppression (e.g., racism) and other sources of harm that pervade sport—there is a need for empirical research that explores how current SPPs fully account for identity, privilege/power and oppression in their work. This qualitative study aimed to help close this gap by offering practical insights from SPPs that can serve as direction for other practitioners to strengthen their cultural praxis. This study adopted a cultural praxis agenda. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 27 current SSPs working in the United States who identified as making efforts to account for social identity, privilege/power and oppression in their practice. Reflexive thematic analysis of interviews with SPPs was carried out at the semantic level. Results highlight four key themes that reflect SPPs approach: (a) acknowledging the self, (b) learning about the client as a whole person in context, (c) shifting power to the client for collaboration, and (d) taking individual-level and/or organizational-level action. Findings provide guidance for how SPPs can engage in a cultural praxis that goes beyond cultural competence promotion in order to ensure that sport is an empowering context for all. Lay summary: This study explored how SPPs account for social identity, privilege/power and oppression in their practice. Four themes characterized their approach: acknowledging the self, learning about the client as a whole person in context, shifting power to the client for collaboration, and individual-level and organizational-level action to promote inclusion, belonging, and equity. Findings provide guidance for how SPPs can work to ensure that sport is an empowering context for all. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: SPPs accounted for social identity, privilege/power and oppression in their applied work by first building and exercising their awareness of themselves (and their positionality) along with their client as a whole person in context. Practitioners used this awareness to shift power to their client for collaboration by honoring their expertise and making individualized considerations. SPPs took individual-level and/or organizational level action to promote inclusion, belonging, and equity within the context of the client-practitioner relationship and broader sport environment. In order to ensure that sport is an empowering context for all, SPPs can consider what organizational-level actions they might take alongside individual-level actions in order to effect wholescale social justice change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Burgess et al. (2016) emphasized the importance of parental support in youth sports as they provide financial, informational, and emotional support to the youth-athlete. Parents also play a "significant role in shaping youth sport experiences" (Sheridan et al., 2014, p. 198). Research around parental support has been conducted in sports such as tennis, gymnastics, and football. The aim of the present study was to examine the parents' perspective of parental support in female youth golf, exploring how they support their female youth golfers, and if the support changes through their child's development. Twenty-two semi structured interviews were conducted with parents (14 fathers, 10 mothers) of high-performance female golfers in the specializing or investment stages of Côté's (1999) DMSP. Participants were recruited from six countries (England, Ireland, Scotland, New Zealand, Australia, Canada). Using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2012) six higher order themes were identified, namely, parental support: emotional, practical, technical, financial, organizational, and reflective support. The results align with the grounded theory of parental support (Burke et al., 2023a) providing an insight into the parents' perspective of providing support aligning with informational, emotional, and instrumental support of the theory. Furthermore, the current research presented novel findings regarding reflective support that parents provide. Findings highlighted that parental support changed depending on temporal differences (place in the golf season) and their daughter's development. The present research reinforces the need to provide support programs for parents based on their needs, rather than programs designed from a governing body or coaches perspective. Lay summary: Parents perspective of parental support and associated temporal changes were explored in female youth golf. Six themes of support were identified: emotional, practical, technical, financial, organizational, and reflective support. Changes in parental support were dependent on their daughter's development (level of maturity or level of play) and the time of year differences. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Sport psychologists can build upon the current findings when assisting the development of youth athletes, by involving the parent in managing emotions for their child-athlete but also providing some help for how parents may manage their own emotions to avoid having a negative impact on their youth athlete. Findings can be applied by practitioners, governing bodies, and sporting organizations to develop and implement suitable assistance for parents based on the needs of parents and to assist with the changes in support that occur when supporting their youth athlete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Physical Education / Tiyu Xuekan is the property of Journal of Physical Education Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Physical Education / Tiyu Xuekan is the property of Journal of Physical Education Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)