M.A. (Clinical Psychology) / Sportsmen and –women, professional and amateur alike, are faced with multiple pressures that often poses an ultimate hindrance on their performance. Some of these pressures include performance anxiety, fatigue and burnout, and negative physiological arousal resultant of performance and perfectionism. The latter, is often a construct that is misunderstood by athletes, coaches, sport managers and spectators, to have a purely negative consequence on an athlete’s performance and sports career. Theory (Flett & Hewitt, 2005; Gotwals, Stoeber, Dunn & Stoll, 2012; Hamachek, 1978) suggests, however, that perfectionism does not only have a negative consequence, but very often, it has a positive influence on a sporting performance. Thus, it is assumed that in the sporting society, perfectionism holds a false ideology. The constructs of perfectionism and personality often correlates with one another, particularly because of the theoretical link between the personality trait Neuroticism, and perfectionism. This ideology is no different among athletes. Sportsmen and -women often strive for perfection within their performance, which is known to most as a debilitating phenomenon in which they need to understand and reduce. However, Gotwals et al. (2012) have found this ideology to be a controversial issue as they have found that in sport, perfectionism is less of a debilitating phenomenon and more of an adaptive phenomenon. In order to better understand the entire construct of perfectionism, it becomes necessary to analyse the relationship it has with personality.

Thesis (PhDSportwet)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of participation in a special squad-based talent development programme on selected physical variables and skills in adolescent girls. This investigation was initiated in the team sport of netball in order to determine if participation in a talent development programme of this kind can be successful in the South African context. A second purpose was to consider the effectiveness of the squad-based model in relation to the traditional school-based model that is commonly implemented for talent development in South African netball. This study followed a static group design in a field setting. The squad-based group (N=22) was composed of netball players ages 14 – 18 years old from two senior high schools in a previously disadvantaged community. The school-based group (N=45) was composed of netball players from the first and second teams at three schools in the same region, that maintained a good standard of netball and had qualified coaches. The subjects in the squad-based group participated in a special eight-month training programme, which consisted out of 2 training sessions (90minutes) and 1 match per week. The subjects in the school-based group participated in their normal pattern of netball practices and school matches. The results of this study lead to some general conclusions about the squadbased training model: • Four components of skill development improved significantly • Significant changes were found in four of the physical variables associated with netball performance. • The squad-based model appeared to have been significantly more effective than the school-based model in the development of the physical variables of flexibility, speed, throwing velocity and aerobic fitness.Based on the results the squad-based model is proposed as an approach to talent development that can make a significant contribution to the development of skill. Continuous refinement of current models and even the creation of new models, may one day create systems where every child can reach toward his or her own sporting potential. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie behels die deelname van ‘n geselekteerde oefengroep adollessente meisies aan ‘n talentontwikkelingsprogram. Die doel van die studie was om die invloed van deelname aan sodanige program op gekose fisiek- en vaardigheidskomponente na te gaan. Netbal, as ‘n spansport, is gebruik om te bepaal of hierdie tipe talentontwikkelingsprogramme suksesvol in die huidige Suid- Afrikaanse konteks kan wees. ‘n Verdere doelwit was om die effektiwiteit van hierdie oefengroepmodel teenoor die meer tradisionele skoolgebaseerde-model, wat tans algemeen in Suid-Afrikaanse netbal toegepas word, na te gaan. Die studie het ‘n statiese-groepontwerp gevolg in ‘n veldtoetsing omgewing. Die oefengroep (N=22) het bestaan uit netbalspeelsters tussen die ouderdomme 14-18 jaar, van twee senior hoërskole vanuit die agtergeblewe gemeenskappe. Die skoolgebaseerde groep (N=45) het bestaan uit speelsters van die eerste en tweede netbalspanne van drie skole in dieselfde streek. Hierdie drie skole beskik oor gekwalifiseerde afrigters en handhaaf ‘n hoë speelstandaard. Die speelsters van die oefengroep het aan ‘n spesiale agtmaande oefenprogram deelgeneem, met twee oefensessies per week (90 minute) asook een wedstryd per week. Die netbalspeelsters in die skoolgebaseerde-program het hulle normale oefenpatroon gevolg en aan skoolwedstryde deelgeneem. Die resultate van hierdie studie het gelei tot sekere algemene gevolgtrekkings omtrent die geselekteerde oefengroepmodel: • Vier komponente van die spelvaardighede het statisties beduidend verbeter. • Beduidende statistiese veranderinge is waargeneem in vier van die fisieke komponente wat met netbal geassosieer word. • Dit blyk dat die oefengroepmodel statisties meer effektief was in die onwikkeling van fisieke komponente soos lenigheid, spoed, aerobiese fiksheid en spoed van gooie, as die skoolgebaseerde oefengroep.Gebaseer op die resultate van die oefengroepmodel, kan hierdie benadering tot ontwikkeling ‘n beduidende verskil maak in die ontwikkeling van netbalvaardighede. Verdere verfyning van huidige talentontwikkelinsgmodelle, mag in die toekoms aanleiding gee tot bruikbare sisteme waar elke deelnemer die kans gegun sal word om sy sportpotensiaal te bereik.