Sport Consultation: An Evaluation of a Season-Long Intervention with Female Collegiate Gymnasts

Abstract

Applied sport consultants continue to offer intervention programs to athletes; however, research determining the efficacy of such programs has been lacking. This paper (a) briefly describes a season-long, multidimensional sport psychology intervention with a collegiate women’s gymnastics team, and (b) presents the results of the evaluation, examining the effectiveness of the program in reducing competitive state anxiety and increasing team cohesion, the two areas of evaluative focus. Results indicate that the intervention gymnasts had higher levels of social cohesion during the initial part of the competitive season than did control gymnasts. In addition, the intervention gymnasts reported decreases in cognitive and somatic levels from the end of the preseason through the middle of the competitive season. Findings are presented in relation to qualitative feedback provided by the coaches and gymnasts. Directions for future research and the intervention team’s evaluation of the program also are discussed.

Effects of a season‐long PST program on gymnastic performance and on psychological skill development

“…Moreover, the use of multidimensional tools in the literature remains scarce. Often, only one or two mental skills were appraised, such as state anxiety and self-confidence (Savoy, 1997), team cohesion and competitive state anxiety (Cogan & Petrie, 1995), imagery skills (Rodgers, Hall, & Buckolz, 1991) or focusing (Bakker & Kayser, 1994). Finally, the duration of the interventions in the single research design studies ranged from three days (Patrick & Hryckaiko) to 12-week investigations (Shambrook & Bull, 1996).…”

Competitive strategies among elite female gymnasts: An exploration of the relative influence of psychological skills training and natural learning experiences

“…The techniques most used include goal setting, relaxation, arousal regulation, imagery, and thought control (self-talk and affirmation) (e.g., Defrancesco & Burk, 1997;Gould, Tammen, Murphy, & May, 1989;Taylor, 1995). Numerous studies have reported the favorable effects of psychological skills training programs on competitive performance (e.g., Cogan & Petrie, 1995;Garza & Feltz,1998;Grouios, 1992;Kendall, Hrycaiko, Martin, & Kendall, 1990, Li-Wei, Qi-Wei, Orlick, & Zitzelsberger, 1992, and on particular psychological indexes such as states of somatic and cognitive anxiety (Bakker & Kayser, 1994;Cogan & Petrie, 1995;Terry, Mayer, & Howe, 1998), self-confidence (Bakker & Kayser, 1994;Garza & Feltz, 1998;Terry, Mayer, & Howe, 1998), imagery ability (Rodgers, Hall, & Buckolz, 1991), and team cohesion (Savoy, 1997).…”

Psychologıcal skılls development and maıntenance ın professıonal soccer players: An experımental desıgn wıth follow up measures

“…Studies indicated that enough long duration PST program significantly increased experimental groups" team cohesion through the use of and the realization of the importance of setting common goals, and other methods applied could enhance the team cohesion level by putting all athletes in the exact ways (goals) to reach the teams goal (Burton, 1989;Brawley et al, 1993;Cogan and Petrie 1995;Voight and Callaghan 2001;Carron et al, 2002;Stevens and Bloom 2003;Senecal et al, 2008).…”