From theory to practice: a study on coping effectiveness among young athletes

Abstract

Stress is increasingly becoming a central issue in sport. In recent years, the discussion about the impact of competitive sport on athletes' lives, the pressures they face and the stress they are exposed to on a daily basis from various sources has intensified. The fact that famous athletes from different sports have spoken publicly about their problems has influenced the public discussion and raised awareness about the mental health of top athletes, but also about the impact this can have on younger athletes who aspire to reach the highest level one day. If young athletes learn the right tools at a young age to deal with the hardships and struggles that are part of any sport, they will be better able to cope more effectively with the stressors they face and therefore have a more enjoyable experience in sport. The focus of the present dissertation is to explore the different aspects of coping effectiveness in sport as it has been discussed and researched so far (Study 1) and what are the best approaches to influence it positively (Study 2). The first part of the dissertation aims to analyse what has been researched on this topic over the last two decades by conducting a systematic review of articles published on coping effectiveness in young athletes. The second study is an intervention conducted with five early adolescent football players (M = 11.02, SD = 0.30) playing for a Portuguese Primeira Liga club. The intervention programme consisted of six sessions that focused on different stressors and provided participants with strategies that could help them cope effectively with each situation. Overall, these studies confirm a certain scarcity in terms of research in this area and the absence of some unifying principles that could lead to more substantial body of work and more in-depth conclusions. Another important point is that this type of intervention has a positive impact on the participating group and that the impact is best measured through a combination of quantitative data and direct observation.