Inner Obstacles and Goal-Directed Behaviors of Elite and Youth-Level Cyclists: A Qualitative Analysis From the Perspective of Athletes and Coaches

Abstract

Top-level performance requires self-regulatory control to overcome different inner obstacles and to apply useful strategies. As for the importance of self-regulation, investigations have been conducted aiming at the efficacy of the self-regulatory strategy of implementation intentions (i.e., if-then plans) on athletic performance, an approach that combines obstacles (if) and goal-directed behaviors (then) to facilitate goal attainment. In this study, we investigated the inner obstacles that athletes face in competitive situations and assessed the goal-directed behaviors they use to deal with these obstacles in order to design effective interventions based on the framework of implementation intention theory. We elucidate inner obstacles and goal-directed behaviors of elite and youth level athletes with a self-designed questionnaire (Study 1). A reworded version of this questionnaire was used for assessing these research questions from a coaches’ perspective (Study 2). Thirty-four elite and youth level athletes (age: M = 23.7 ± 9.9 years) and 42 elite coaches (age: M = 50.2 ± 9.8 years) participated in both studies. Inner obstacles and goal-directed behaviors were analyzed with thematic analyses. The most frequently named inner obstacles were dealing with demanding situations, pressure, and concentration, while the most frequently stated goal-directed behaviors with these obstacles were preparation, self-encouragement, and relaxation (athletes) and concentration (coaches). The results of these studies illustrate the multiple challenges elite and youth level cycling athletes face and provide important insights for sportpsychological research with implementation intentions regarding plan structure and content.