ABSTRACT
In the Spring of 2020, the novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) was officially declared a global pandemic which prompted an unprecedented number of changes to societal functioning. Amongst those who experienced signific life alterations were that of collegiate athletes within the United States. The following two studies provide an in-depth examination of athlete experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Study 1 investigates the relationship between athletes' perceptions of their team motivational climate with their perceived support from coaches and teammates as well as their optimistic thoughts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results revealed significant and positive associations between a caring and task-involving (CTI) team climate with athletes' perceptions of support from coaches and teammates as well as their optimistic thoughts during the COVID-19 pandemic, while an ego-involving (EI) team climate was significantly and negatively associated with perceptions of support from coaches and teammates as well as optimistic thoughts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, the final mediation model suggests that perceived support from coaches and teammates act as an indirect effect between perceptions of a CTI climate and athletes' optimistic thoughts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results also suggest athletes' gender may influence outcomes, with men athletes reporting significantly more optimistic thoughts during the COVID-19 pandemic than women athletes. Further, results revealed a significant difference between women and men in the relationships between perceptions of a CTI climate with EI climate and EI climate with support from teammates. Study 2 uses the findings of Study 1 to provide applicable strategies coaches and administrators can use to create a CTI climate for their athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Specifically, four recommendations are suggested including: support athletes in sport and life;make athletes' health a priority;sustain motivation and encourage optimism;and help teammates stay connected to each other. Each recommendation is accompanied with specific strategies coaches can use to support the recommendation. The goal of the combined studies is to provide empirical evidence of the impact a CTI climate can have during high-stress times, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as key information on how coaches can help create a CTI climate for their teams to help athletes cope with such stress. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The optimization of athletes' wellbeing has been increasingly considered essential both in the academic and practical fields of high-performance sports. Various organizations, such as the International Olympic Committee, have highlighted its importance, particularly mental health. Moreover, the increased attention to athlete wellbeing in sport policy debates at the national level has led to the development and implementation of a support system for athletes' mental wellbeing in some countries. Nevertheless, the literature is limited to understanding the case of Japan. Interestingly, only 0.8% of the literature is available on "athlete" and "wellbeing" in Japanese compared to English journals up to 2019. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify (a) the current state of wellbeing of Japanese university student-athletes, (b) the level of knowledge about athlete wellbeing, and (c) the athletes' perception of the availability of wellbeing support in the national sports federations, (d) the athlete experience of support services, and develop the types of national support athletes expect and need from the government and national sports federations in the future. As a pilot study, a total of 100 Japanese university student-athletes (43 male, 57 female) from 17 Olympic and seven Paralympic sports completed an online survey. Consequently, the state of their wellbeing was self-perceived as good in all dimensions (i.e., physical, mental, educational, organizational, social, and financial). Moreover, the results showed low recognition of the term "athlete wellbeing" and a lack of knowledge of the availability and accessibility of appropriate support services. The results also showed that Japanese university student-athletes rarely seek help from experts, while 45% indicated "no one" to talk to. Interestingly, however, most athletes considered each dimension of wellbeing important in relation to their performance development. Based on the results, it is necessary to develop an education program, guidelines, and detection systems and improve information accessibility. Given that this pilot study's validity, reliability, and feasibility were verified, further studies should focus more on the wellbeing of Japanese elite athletes in high-performance sports (i.e., Olympic and Paralympic athletes).
ABSTRACT
In the Spring of 2020, the novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) was officially declared a global pandemic which prompted an unprecedented number of changes to societal functioning. Amongst those who experienced signific life alterations were that of collegiate athletes within the United States. The following two studies provide an in-depth examination of athlete experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Study 1 investigates the relationship between athletes' perceptions of their team motivational climate with their perceived support from coaches and teammates as well as their optimistic thoughts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results revealed significant and positive associations between a caring and task-involving (CTI) team climate with athletes' perceptions of support from coaches and teammates as well as their optimistic thoughts during the COVID-19 pandemic, while an ego-involving (EI) team climate was significantly and negatively associated with perceptions of support from coaches and teammates as well as optimistic thoughts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, the final mediation model suggests that perceived support from coaches and teammates act as an indirect effect between perceptions of a CTI climate and athletes' optimistic thoughts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results also suggest athletes' gender may influence outcomes, with men athletes reporting significantly more optimistic thoughts during the COVID-19 pandemic than women athletes. Further, results revealed a significant difference between women and men in the relationships between perceptions of a CTI climate with EI climate and EI climate with support from teammates. Study 2 uses the findings of Study 1 to provide applicable strategies coaches and administrators can use to create a CTI climate for their athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Specifically, four recommendations are suggested including: support athletes in sport and life;make athletes' health a priority;sustain motivation and encourage optimism;and help teammates stay connected to each other. Each recommendation is accompanied with specific strategies coaches can use to support the recommendation. The goal of the combined studies is to provide empirical evidence of the impact a CTI climate can have during high-stress times, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as key information on how coaches can help create a CTI climate for their teams to help athletes cope with such stress. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)