The purpose of this study was two-fold: to quantitatively explore competitive rowers' perspectives of the benefits and barriers to exercise, and to use follow-up qualitative interviews to elicit insight into rowers' views of their sport culture, personal experience, and what it takes to be a dedicated, adherent athlete. A mixed-methods approach was used with online surveys and semi-structured interviews. Participants were club and university rowers in the Northeast Atlantic region, all of whom were at least 18 years of age and actively rowing at the time of study One hundred thirty-one athletes, 77 female and 54 male, participated in the quantitative phase of the study. The online survey included the Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale (EBBS), a 43-item, 4-point Likert scale measure, and a Basic Demographics Questionnaire (BDQ). The EBBS measured perceived benefits of and barriers to physical exercise. Statistical analysis revealed no strong correlations between the EBBS factors and demographic data. An eight-factor solution resulted, with five benefits (psycho-physical competence, daily functional efficiency, psycho-emotional stability, preventative health, and social interaction) and three barriers (personal inconvenience, physical exertion, and family encouragement). The eight-factor solution correlated strongly with the original nine-factor solution from Sechrist, Walker, and Pender (1987). Nine participants, five men and four women, participated in follow-up interviews. Interviews were performed at a time and place convenient for the rower. The purpose of the interview was to elicit specific, genuine, rich content related to their rowing experience and how the benefits and barriers to physical activity and their place in rowing culture affect exercise adherence. Using an inductive-deductive approach prescribed by grounded theory, two core categories and additional sub-categories were developed in the coding process. From the data analysis, hindering factors and facilitating factors emerged as the core categories. Physical conditioning and health, optimization of personal characteristics, psycho-emotional stability, strong social community, environment, and interpretation of perceived barriers were subsumed under facilitating factors. The following sub-themes were contained in hindering factors: exercise demands, environment, and social issues. Rowers perceived strongly the benefits of their rowing experience, and stated that barriers are inherent to exercise and they are responsible for adapting to them. / Kinesiology

Little is known about the current state of multicultural training within sport psychology master's programs. The study explored students' perceptions of their multicultural training and program climate. Importantly, differences in perceptions were investigated based on students' demographic factors, given that students with marginalized identities tend to report less favorable perceptions of and experiences in graduate training. Participants (N = 107) consisted of students and recent graduates of master's level sport psychology programs. Participants reported moderate levels of feeling safe, valued, and comfortable within their master's program, low to moderate levels of multicultural training integration within their curriculum and supervision, and low to moderate satisfaction with their multicultural training. Asian, Asian American, bi/multiracial, Black, African American, Hispanic, and Latino/a/e students, compared to their White peers, reported less satisfaction with their multicultural training, felt less safe, comfortable, and valued within their programs, and perceived less integration of multiculturalism into curriculum and supervision. A multiple regression analysis revealed that, for all students, perceptions of multicultural training integration and reports of feeling safe, comfortable, and valued was significantly related to students' satisfaction with their multicultural training. Discussion focuses on possible explanations for these findings, training implications, and future research directions.

This qualitative study explored sport psychologists’ transition into professional establishment through the stories of two highly experienced Nordic sport psychology practitioners. At the time of the study, the two males (named Charlie and Billie for the study) had worked applied with clients for more than 20 years and were each holding a master’s degree in sport psychology. Narrative interviews were administered to investigate the participants’ stories of the transition from novice professional to experienced professional practitioner, with each interview lasting about one and a half hour. Additionally, participants were enquired on one follow up interview each to allow for further elaboration. The researcher then took the position of the story analyst (Smith, 2017) and conducted a thematic narrative analysis based on the gathered data. A narrative theme of “paving the way” emerged, relating to how the participants had to create their own work within a field that was not yet nationally developed or recognized and, as a consequence of this, had to pave the way for sport and exercise psychology as a professional and an academic field in their respective country. The findings are discussed based on common and individual reflections between the participants in relation to the overall narrative theme, their transition in general, previous literature, and theoretical frameworks. The practical implications provided by this study may assist novice and semi-experienced practitioners striving to get established, as well as supervisors and educational institutions to better support and prepare students for their upcoming careers as applied sport psychologists. / Föreliggande kvalitativa studie undersökte idrottspsykologiska rådgivares övergång till professionell etablering genom historierna från två väl erfarna nordiska idrottspsykologiska rådgivare. Vid studiens tidpunkt hade de två manliga deltagarna (kallade Charlie och Billie i den här studien) arbetat tillämpat med klienter i mer än 20 år och var och en av dem innehade en magisterexamen i idrottspsykologi. Narrativa intervjuer utfördes i syfte att undersöka deltagarnas historier om övergången från oerfaren till erfaren professionell rådgivare, varav varje intervju varade cirka en och en halv timme. Dessutom tillfrågades deltagarna att delta i varsin uppföljningsintervju i syfte att öppna upp möjlighet för ytterligare informationsgivande. Forskaren intog sedan perspektivet av en historieanalytiker (Smith, 2017) och utförde en tematisk narrativ analys baserat på den insamlade datan. Ett narrativt tema av ”bana väg” framkom relaterat till hur deltagarna varit tvungna att skapa sin egen tjänst inom ett fält som inte än blivit nationellt utvecklat eller erkänt. Som en konsekvens av detta fick de bana väg för idrotts- och motionspsykologin som ett professionellt och ett akademiskt område i deras respektive länder. Resultatet diskuteras utifrån gemensamma och individuella reflektioner deltagarna emellan vad gäller det övergripande narrativa temat, deras övergång generellt, föregående litteratur och teoretiska ramverk. De praktiska implikationerna som framförs till följd av denna studie kan bistå oerfarna och semierfarna rådgivare som strävar mot att bli etablerade och även handledare och utbildningsinstitutioner för att de bättre ska kunna förbereda och stötta studenter inför deras kommande karriärer som tillämpade idrottspsykologiska rådgivare.

Coaching efficacy is largely influenced by mastery experiences such as formal education, coaching experience, and sport participation. Further examining specific experiences, such as exposure to sport psychology, may prove helpful in advancing our understanding of coaching efficacy. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore male high school coaches' coaching experience to determine whether sport psychology education and interactions with sport psychology consultants relate to coaches' coaching efficacy. Participants, 585 males (Mage = 43.89 + 10.02), completed an online survey measuring coaching efficacy and coaching and sport psychology experience. A hierarchical regression analysis revealed that after controlling for years of coaching experience and school size, sport psychology education and interactions with sport psychology consultants were associated with higher overall coaching efficacy scores (p < .001). Additionally, analysis of covariance revealed that those with extensive sport psychology education had statistically higher coaching efficacy scores than those reporting no sport psychology education (p < .05). Knowledge of these phenomena may be relevant for sport psychology consultants, coach educators, and researchers.

Huvudsyftet med studien var att undersöka elitfotbollsspelares uppfattningar kring vilka hinder och möjligheter som finns för att idrottspsykologiska rådgivare ska ges inträde i en fotbollsförening. Ett ytterligare syfte var att undersöka vad som karaktäriserar en framgångsrik idrottspsykologisk rådgivare vid samarbete med elitfotbollsspelare. Populationen utgjordes av åtta svenska elitfotbollsspelare. Kriterierna för att inkluderas i studien var att deltagarna skulle tillhört en a-lagstrupp i en elitfotbollsförening (Allsvenskan och Superettan) säsongen 2015. Insamlingen av data utgick från kvalitativ ansats, genom intervjuer och analyserades utifrån kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultatet visade att idrottarna påpekade fler hinder än möjligheter för att den idrottspsykologiska rådgivaren ska ges inträde i en förening, där skepticism mot idrottspsykologi nämndes som ett exempel. Gällande karaktärsdrag visade resultatet att idrottarna hade en större samsyn i förhållande till de hinder och möjligheter som framkom. Slutligen diskuterar författarna förslag på framtida forskning, metodkritik och implikationer. / The main purpose of the study was to examine elite soccer players perceptions of which barriers and possibilities exists in order to give sport psychology consultants entry in a soccer organization. Another purpose was to examine what characterizes a successful sport psychology consultant in their cooperation with elite soccer players. The population was eight swedish elite soccer players. The criteria to be included in the study, was that the athletes had pertained a first team squad in an elite soccer organization (Allsvenskan and Superettan) in the season of 2015. Data collection was done through qualitative approach, through interviews and was analyzed by qualitative content analysis. The results showed the athletes pointed out more barriers than possibilities to give the sport psychology consultant entry in an organization, where skepticism towards sport psychology was mentioned as an example. Regarding characteristics the results showed that the athletes had more consensuses in relation to the barriers and possibilities that appeared. Finally the authors discuss suggestions in terms of future research, methodology reflections and implications.

Thesis (M Sport Sc (Sport Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Sport analogies are constantly used in business settings, perhaps due to some of the surface similarities between sport teams that strive to win competitive leagues and business teams striving to be successful in a competitive environment. The similarities between the sports and business worlds are highlighted by various authors who share “winning strategies” with managers and team leaders. However, the psychology of sports performance may be very different from the psychology of the business world. The main purpose of this investigation was to determine if the principles of sport psychology are indeed applicable to the environment of the workplace. Due to the emphasis on performance output in the corporate environment, which to a large extent is similar to the challenges encountered by elite sport persons, it is proposed that sport psychology rather than clinical psychology could be utilised as a way to assist employees to cope with the demands of the workplace. It is believed that by adopting the principles of sport psychology, employees can learn how to use mental skills, not only to enhance their performance in the work place, but also to deal with daily life stressors. The main focus of the study was to develop a mental skills programme based on sport psychology principles and to determine its effectiveness in the corporate world.

This research tested the relationship between Emotional Intelligence (EI) and mood states prior to performance, using two culturally diverse populations and using a mixed methodology. The objective was to explore whether there were cultural differences between the two samples thereafter exploring whether EI can be enhanced in the two cultures, using a psychological skills intervention. Phase 1 and 2 used the BRUMS-32 (Terry et al., 1999), and the EIS (Schutte et al., 1998) to investigate mood states and EI among a sample of UK wheelchair basketball players (phase 1: n = 51), and Ghanaian footballers (phase 2: n = 70). Five semi-structured interviews were also completed in phase 1. In phase 3 interventions (goal-setting, self-talk, relaxation and daily diaries) were used to enhance EI in a sample of UK wheelchair basketball players (n = 6) and Ghanaian football players (n = 8). Self-talk questionnaires, daily diaries, EIS and structured interviews were used to collect data during the intervention. Phase 1 MANOVA results showed that EI was related to mood states associated with optimal and dysfunctional performance (Wilks' Lambda 8.7 = .01, F = 74.76, P = .00, Partial Eta2 = .99) and indicated that optimism and utilisation of emotions contributed significantly to variation in mood by performance. Four key themes emerged from semi-structured interviews: antecedents of emotions; emotion and performance; emotional intelligence; and coping with emotions. Results suggested that EI correlated with performance. Phase 2, MANOVA results showed that EI was related to mood states associated with optimal and dysfunctional performance (Wilks' Lambda 8.40 = .50, F = 7.82, P < .00, Partial Eta2 = .50) and indicated that emotion regulation and appraisal of other‟s emotions contributed significantly to variations in mood by performance. When seen collectively, results of phase 1 and 2 indicate that there were cultural differences between the two populations.Phase 3 indicated that in both populations EI could be enhanced for some of the participants. Culture could be an explanation for the intervention only partially working. The EI theory or the EIS may only work in the culture it was developed in as it did not seem to detect changes in the Ghanaian sample.

La créativité est une caractéristique psychologique importante à l’atteinte de l’expertise. Le développement de la pensée créative étant reconnu comme un atout essentiel à l’atteinte et au maintien de performances supérieures dans le milieu des arts, des sciences, de la santé, des entreprises et de l’éducation, peu de connaissances sont disponibles quant à son rôle dans le domaine sportif. Par conséquent, l’objectif général de cette thèse était d’explorer le rôle de la créativité sur le développement de l’expertise sportive. Une première étude a d’abord identifié certains facteurs qui influencent la créativité chez les athlètes élites. Les résultats montrent que la pratique de plusieurs sports au niveau récréatif lors du développement athlétique ainsi qu’un environnement favorisant la résolution de problèmes sont bénéfiques au développement de la pensée créative. De plus, il semble que l’expertise soit positivement associée à la créativité tandis que l’expérience y est négativement liée. Ensuite, une seconde étude a indiqué que l’engagement dans des activités créatives entraîne l’utilisation de stratégies de coping orientées vers la tâche qui, à leur tour, favorisent l’atteinte de l’état de flow. Les résultats de cette étude indiquent également plusieurs associations positives entre la créativité et la fréquence d’atteinte de l’état de flow. Finalement, une troisième étude présente les impacts de la mise en place d’une intervention composée d’activités d’improvisation sur la performance de patineurs artistiques élites. Suite à l’intervention, des effets positifs ont été observés sur la performance artistique, la performance en compétition, les attitudes et valeurs créatives, l’estime de soi et les habiletés de pleine conscience des patineurs. Dans l’ensemble, ces résultats permettent de conclure que la créativité est une caractéristique importante à l’atteinte de l’excellence sportive. Il serait donc important de stimuler les habiletés créatives des athlètes afin d’assurer une évolution constante des performances sportives. / Creativity is an important psychological characteristic linked to expertise. The development of creative thinking is recognized as a key asset in the achievement and maintenance of superior performances in the arts, sciences, health, business, and education, but little is known about its role in sport. Therefore, the general goal of this thesis was to explore the role of creativity in the development of sports expertise. A first study identified some factors influencing creativity among elite athletes. The results showed that practicing several sports at a recreational level throughout the athletic development and being in an environment that promotes problem solving is beneficial to the development of creative thinking. Moreover, it seems that expertise is positively associated with creativity, whereas experience is negatively associated with this construct. Then, a second study found that investment in creative activities lead to a better use of task-oriented coping strategies, which in turn, promoted the achievement of flow state. The results of this study also indicate several positive associations between creativity and flow state attainment. Finally, a third study examined the influence of the implementation of an intervention composed of improvisational activities on elite figure skaters’ performances. Following the intervention, positive effects were observed on skaters’ artistic performances, performance in competition, creative attitudes and values, self-esteem, and mindfulness skills. Overall, these results suggest that creativity is an important feature of sport excellence achievement. It is thus important to foster creative abilities in athletes to ensure a constant evolution of sport performances.

Title: Motivation for Practicing Judo for Children in age between 11 and 15 years. The Aim of The Thesis: The aim of this thesis was to find out which motivation factors are the most importatnt for the judo athletes in age between 11-15 years. We studied all the necessary literature, collected informations about this topic, and established quantitative questionnaire. The result of this thesis is suggestion for coaches based on received information about which motivation factors are important for children and which are not. Method: Experiment will be provided by using quantitative questionnaires established for judo athletes in age between 11 and 15. Key Words: Motivation, Achievment Motivation, Sport Psychology, Judo, Judo training

Essa tese é um dos resultados possíveis provenientes da lacuna acadêmica referente à intersecção de três campos: o esporte, a psicologia e as relações raciais. A articulação entre eles se dá a partir de seu objetivo: analisar o processo de racialização no contexto esportivo a partir das narrativas de profissionais de psicologia. Os conceitos de raça, racialização, racismo, supremacia branca e branquitude são apresentados e contextualizados, uma vez que foram importantes para a construção do texto. No seu escopo teórico, a tese faz uma apresentação e aprofundamento da discussão a respeito do esporte moderno, porém, diferentemente da literatura consagrada do campo esportivo, há um enfoque no papel dessa instituição na consolidação da supremacia branca no contexto do colonialismo europeu a partir do século XIX. Em seguida, é elaborada uma revisão de literatura sobre os estudos das relações raciais e o esporte, bem como da contribuição da psicologia no tema. Por fim, um panorama histórico brasileiro sobre a psicologia do esporte e as relações raciais é apresentado, apontando para os problemas enfrentados pela área ao se propor um trabalho antirracista. Já o campo empírico é composto por oito entrevistas semiestruturadas realizadas com quatro psicólogos e quatro psicólogas que trabalharam em algum momento de suas carreiras no esporte. O conteúdo delas é analisado a partir do referencial teórico da Teoria Crítica de Raça. Dessa análise de conteúdo resultaram três narrativas sobre racialização e esporte: as que se amparam em um essencialismo biológico, outras que naturalizam as desigualdades sociais e raciais e ainda aquelas que apresentam visões críticas às hierarquias raciais. Além disso, foi realizada uma análise das narrativas sobre a atuação profissional em psicologia do esporte e seu papel diante do racismo, questionando se é possível pensar em uma psicologia do esporte antirracista / This thesis is one of the possible results from the academic gap regarding the intersection of three fields: sport, psychology and race relations. The articulation between them takes place from its objective: to analyze the process of racialization in the sporting context from the narratives of professionals of psychology. The concepts of race, racialization, racism, white supremacy and whiteness are presented and contextualized, since they were important for the construction of the text. In its theoretical scope, the thesis presents and deepens the discussion about modern sport, but unlike the established literature of the sports field, there is a focus on the role of this institution in the consolidation of white supremacy in the context of European colonialism from the XIX century. Next, it is elaborated a literature review on the study of racial relations and sport, as well as the contribution of psychology on the subject. Finally, there is a Brazilian historical panorama on the psychology of sport and race relations, pointing to the problems faced by the area when proposing an antiracist work. The empirical field is composed of eight semi-structured interviews with psychologists (four women and four men) who worked at some point in their careers in sports. Their content is analyzed from the theoretical framework of Critical Race Theory. This analysis of content resulted in three narratives about racialization and sport: those that rely on a biological essentialism, others that naturalize social and racial inequalities and those that present critical views of racial hierarchies. In addition, an analysis of the narratives about the work in sport psychology and its role in the face of racism was carried out, questioning whether it is possible to think of an antiracist sport psychology