What is Clutch Performance? An Examination of Definitional and Conceptual Issues

Clutch performance refers to successful or improved performance under pressure. Despite a long history of colloquial use and a growing research interest, there remains conflicting definitions and conceptualisations of this construct. Such conceptual divergence has appeared to limit progress towards the development of measurement, theory, and applied interventions for clutch performance. As such, the overarching aim of this thesis was to examine the conceptual foundations of clutch performance, with a specific focus on how current definitions and conceptualisations reflect athletes’ perceptions of performing well under pressure

A Review of Scientific Progress in Flow in Sport and Exercise: Normal Science, Crisis, and a Progressive Shift

2018, Copyright Association for Applied Sport Psychology. Flow is highly relevant and desirable in sport and exercise. Drawing on ideas from iconic philosophers of science-Thomas Kuhn, Karl Popper, and Imre Lakatos-we argue that research in this field has followed a pattern of normal science. With a series of accumulating criticisms and anomalies, we propose flow research is approaching a crisis point. We highlight problems with research based on the traditional nine-dimensions conceptualization of flow. Then, drawing on the work of Popper and Lakatos, we offer theoretical and methodological suggestions for developing a more progressive and practically useful theory for researchers and practitioners

Prevalence of drop-out from organised extracurricular sports and associations with body fat percentage during childhood and adolescence

Objectives This paper aimed to report the prevalence of drop-out from organised sports between the ages of 10 and 14 years, and to examine potential associated detriments to levels of body fat.Methods All data were drawn from waves 4–6 of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Participants’ sport participation was parent reported and body fat percentage was measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis. A total of 4159 participants had sports participation data at age 10 years (M=10.32 years, SD=4.68).Results From 3013 sport participants at age 10 years, 29.7% (n=894) had dropped out of sports at age 12 years. Of 2016 sport participants at age 12 years, 33.3% (n=705) had dropped out of sports by the age of 14 years. There were no differences in body fat percentage at any age according to differences in sport participation behaviours.Conclusions Based on a high prevalence, drop-out from organised extracurricular sports during childhood and adolescence may be an important public health behaviour to consider. A solution-oriented approach to dropout from organised sports is recommended, but more evidence as to potential health detriments is needed using high-quality research designs

Qualitative Exploration of Coaches’ Perceptions of Performance Under Pressure in Sport

The concept of clutch performance (improved or successful performance under pressure) has gained traction in both research and the media in recent years, with notable, highprofile sporting moments occurring more frequently. As athletes inherently experience pressure when competing in sporting events, researchers and sport practitioners aim to work with athletes to help facilitate performance under these pressure circumstances. While research in the field has aimed to explore how clutch performances occur in sport, there remains some conceptual confusion regarding the definition of clutch performance itself. In light of this, 12 semielite/elite sporting coaches took part in a career-based, semistructured interview, to offer insight into when, and how, clutch performances occur. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim, and data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006, 2019). Two themes were generated: (a) the performance level required for clutch performance is context-dependent and (b) clutch performances may occur at multiple temporal levels. These themes suggest that the performance requirements to achieve a clutch performance vary depending on the context of the event, and further, clutch performances were considered to occur as either specific clutch moments throughout an event or as an extended performance over the course of an entire event. These findings provide support for a refined definition of clutch performance, wherein the context of the situation and duration of the performance are considered. Implications are discussed, and recommendations are made for future research

ACHIEVING FLOW AND CLUTCH STATES IN GOLF WHEN PERFORMING UNDER PRESSURE

The American hits a good putt, but it slides agonisingly to the right of the hole. This chapter presents a critical review of the literature on psychological states underlying excellent performance in sport, followed by considerations to help golfers, coaches, and parents facilitate these states. Although it may seem somewhat counterintuitive, golfers have previously reported that conversing with caddies about topics other than golf while performing allows them to take their mind away from the importance of a situation and avoid the analytical thoughts that can disrupt flow. Coaches should create practice conditions that involve performing under pressure, as golfers have reported that simulated-pressurised training scenarios can facilitate clutch performances. As golfers, coaches, parents, and caddies explore the various approaches suggested to facilitate flow and clutch states in the chapter, careful consideration should be given to contextual factors and how these might influence the strategies employed

Psychological safety in sport:A systematic review and concept analysis

There has been a rapid proliferation of empirical research on the relationship between sport participation and mental health. As a result of this movement, there has been an increased focus on the constructs that can predict or explain mental health outcomes in sport. Psychological safety in sport is among the constructs surfaced in the movement. Despite this, there is a considerable lack of conceptual clarity regarding how to define psychological safety and how it can be fostered in sport. As such, the aim of this study was to provide conceptual clarity of the term psychological safety in the context of sport. To achieve this aim, we first systematically searched for all currently available studies that have discussed psychological safety in a sport context. Then, a concept analysis approach was applied wherein the definitions, attributes, antecedents, and consequences were thematically analysed across 67 studies. As a result of this synthesis, psychological safety in sport was conceptualised as a continuous, group level construct that is perceived (and reported) at an individual level. We also provide a descriptive model of psychological safety in sport that we hope lends clarity and debate to the field moving forward.</p