Anxiety and sport : time to ask what rather than why

Approaches to the study of anxiety in sport have tended to rely on the use of questionnaires to assess levels of competitive anxiety. The development of the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (Martens et aI., 1982) has according to Jones (1995) led to considerable research investigating the relationship between anxiety and sport performance.Study 1 reported here utilised the CSAI-2 with an additional directional scale to examine individual differences and competitive state anxiety in sport. Results revealed that there were no significant differences (p<.05) between three achievement levels of competitive swimmers (n=89) for intensity scores, however, significant differences were found for cognitive anxiety and somatic anxiety directional scores across levels. Further, unexpected correlations between CSAI-2 intensity and directional scores for several items, highlighted the importance of considering individual differences in the interpretation of anxiety symptoms.Study 2 was based on Davidson and Schwartz's (1976) Matching Hypothesis which claims that interventions, to be effective, must be matched to the individual's dominant mode of experiencing anxiety. Female high level skaters (n=15) were assigned to a control group (n=5), a cognitive anxiety group or a somatic anxiety group based on interview data, CSAI-2 scores, coach reports, and performance at a simulated competitive event. Results revealed that there was no support for the Matching Hypothesis, and that greater attention should be devoted to using methods that allow for a more individualised approach to understanding anxiety in sport.A diary-based methodology incorporating Watson and Tellegen' s (1985) concept of mood, was employed in study 3 with high level Netballers (n=8) and Super League Rugby League Referees (n=8), to examine the relationships between anxiety, mood and sport and other life events for a 4 week period. Results suggested that this methodology can be used to allow data to be analysed ideographically and from an inter-individual basis as well, and helps to place sport anxiety into a broader context in relation to other mood states and life events.Finally, study 4 further developed the use of the diary based methodology by investigating the relationship between mood, anxiety and performance in International Student Rugby players (n=Il). Whilst no clear relationship was found between anxiety, mood states and match performance scores, several interesting findings revealed that much more could be achieved by re-directing focus at what anxiety means to an individual both before and after sport performance.The findings from the diary-based studies are discussed in terms of the need to address the meaning of anxiety in sport, in part, by drawing on the approach taken within existential-phenomenological psychology

Athlete Lifestyle Support of Elite Youth Cricketers: An Ethnography of Player Concerns Within a National Talent Development Program

The 15-month ethnography reported here investigated the culturally and contextually relevant lifestyle concerns for which national-level youth cricketers seek support and the personal meanings ascribed to them. Players discussed lifestyle challenges and support, with five themes emerging: (a) players appreciating lifestyle support, (b) adapting to the new environment, (c) managing competing demands, (d) educational choices and professional contracts, and (e) identity negotiation in critical moments. The challenges impacted players' sense of self, well-being, and ultimately performance. The findings suggest lifestyle practitioners should support players through counseling approaches, strong player relationships, and environment immersion with a view to impacting performance. 2017 © Association for Applied Sport Psycholog

The Philosophical Underpinning of Athlete Lifestyle Support : An Existential-Humanistic Perspective

This study aims to highlight how an existential-humanistic perspective can inform athlete support and in doing so, emphasize the importance of explicating the philosophical underpinnings of athlete lifestyle support. Drawing on applied experience with elite youth cricketers over a 12-month period, ethnographic data were collected through the observation, maintenance of case notes, and a practitioner reflective diary. Based on thematic analysis, we created three nonfictional vignettes that we use to illustrate how existential-humanistic theorizing can inform lifestyle support. We discuss the implications of this professional philosophy in terms of considerations for performance and talent development programs, and how holistic support for athletes is positioned. We also discuss implications for athlete lifestyle and performance psychology practitioners, with regard to training, underpinning theoretical grounding of support and the strategic positioning of their practitioner roles.peerReviewe