The Effect of Manipulating Training Demands and Consequences on Experiences of Pressure in Elite Netball

Abstract

Testing the efficacy of a pressure training framework (Stoker, Lindsay, Butt, Bawden, & Maynard, 2016), the present study investigated whether manipulating training demands and consequences altered experiences of pressure. Elite Netballers (M age = 26.14 years) performed a Netball exercise in a randomized, within subject design with four conditions: a control, consequences, demands, and demands plus consequences condition. Compared with the control, self-reported pressure was significantly higher in the consequences and demands plus consequences condition, but not in the demands condition. The findings provide mixed support for manipulating demands and strong support for manipulating consequences as a means for producing pressure.

The Effect of Manipulating Individual Consequences and Training Demands on Experiences of Pressure With Elite Disability Shooters

“…After institutional ethics approval was obtained, the sample was identified purposively in accordance with the previous research upon which the current study was based (see Stoker et al, 2017). These requirements included recruiting participants: (i) of elite/international standard; (ii) that belonged to a sporting program that wanted to PT; (iii) that were not in a competition phase; (iv) that met regularly for training; (v) and that used a venue with private training facilities.…”

“…To ensure that the exercise was moderately easy for the specific participants, it was required that the athletes' head coach select the exercise. Specifically, in line with previous literature (e.g., Stoker et al, 2017), the researchers gave clear instructions for the head coach to design a shooting exercise that would be experienced by all the participants as "moderately easy".…”

“…Regarding the identification and designing of consequences, meetings were held with the participants where they were asked to identify consequences that created pressure in training, competition, social, and professional situations (Stoker et al, 2017). The coaching framework generated by Stoker et al (2016) was used to guide the discussions and this ensured questions identified specific reward, forfeit, and judgment stressors.…”

“…Pressure training (PT) can be defined as a stressor-exposure program that specifically focusses on reducing choking and developing performance under pressure by strategically exposing individuals to pressurized environments (cf. Oudejans & Pijpers, 2009;Stoker et al, 2017). Previous research has provided an indication that pressure training can be used to successfully prevent choking and enhance performance.…”

The Effectiveness of Psychological Skills Training Program on Netball Shooting Performance

“…Each position has different court restrictions and roles within match play, which is demanding the shooting performance of the two players called Goal Shooter and Goal Attack in defining the goal (Davidson & Trewartha, 2008). Open skill such as netball shooting occur in a changing, and predictable environment such need to regularly move and adapt with different shooting distance aiming to the basket (Stoker et al, 2017). As a player, she tended to demonstrate few repetitions of movement activities and demonstrated least time walking, jogging and running, and greatest percentage of time standing (Davidson & Trewartha, 2008).…”