Psychological Strategies Included by Strength and Conditioning Coaches in Applied Strength and Conditioning.

Area of Science:

• Sport Psychology
• Strength and Conditioning

Background:

• Applied sport psychology literature lacks research in certain sport domains.
• Strength and conditioning professionals employ various psychological techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the specific psychological techniques used by strength and conditioning professionals.
• To inform professional development needs in applied sport psychology.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study using semistructured interviews with 18 strength and conditioning professionals.
• Participants recruited via convenience sampling from the UK, US, and Australia.
• Thematic clustering via interpretative phonological analysis to identify common themes.

Main Results:

• Practitioners use a range of cognitive and behavioral psychological skills and strategies.
• Significant emphasis is placed on developing/maintaining athlete self-confidence, particularly through goal setting.
• Notable attention is also given to skill acquisition and arousal management.

Conclusions:

• Strength and conditioning coaches identify key psychological strategies for athlete development.
• Professional development should focus on enhancing coaches' awareness of confidence-building, arousal regulation, and skill facilitation techniques.