During the 2020, the pandemic caused by the massive spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus (COVID-19) resulted in a global crisis. In Spain, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a lockdown for almost 100 days and forced the sudden stop of sport practices and competitions. This interruption had a negative impact on high-level athletes’ mental health. However, its impact on young athletes, who are intrinsically developing a high-demanding dual career, remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed at (1) describing and characterizing the general impact that COVID-19 lockdown had on Spanish young athletes’ life-spheres and mental health, and (2) identifying different profiles of athletes regarding life-conditions and sport-related variables. A sample of 544 young athletes (M = 15.9; SD = 1.51) participated in this study. Measures included life-conditions and sport-related information along with the Holistic Monitoring Questionnaire (HMQ) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). After the screening and description of the data, profiles were defined using a two-level cluster analysis using HMQ and GHQ-12 subscales. We explored differences in demographic and sports information between profiles using MANOVA and subsequent ANOVA. Results suggest a general negative impact of COVID-19 on young athletes’ life-spheres and mental health, but with three different clusters regarding the degree of such impact. Cluster 1 grouped the 54.78% of the sample and exhibited a low negative impact of COVID-19 lockdown on life-spheres and few mental health issues. Cluster 2 grouped a 29.96% of the participants who reported a medium negative impact on life-spheres and moderate mental health issues. Cluster 3 represented 15.26% of the sample including participants who showed a high negative impact of the COVID-19 lockdown with high mental health issues. The paradigmatic participant in this third group would be a female student-athlete from a medium or low socioeconomic status with high academic demands and poor or inexistent training conditions during lockdown. Current findings emphasize the need to pay attention to young athletes’ mental health and suggest possible influencing contextual variables. We suggest some applied recommendations aimed at helping clubs and sports institutions to mitigate the negative effects of such difficult circumstances on athletes’ mental health.

Framed in cognitive-motivational-relational theory of emotions (Lazarus, 1999), this study aimed to test how coping mediated the relationship between competitive anxiety and sport commitment in a sample of adolescent athletes. Five-hundred adolescents (M = 16.42; SD = 1.54) participated in our study. Participants completed competitive anxiety, coping, and sport commitment measures. We defined the measurement model using confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory structural equation modeling; and compared two different models of mediation (i.e., total and partial mediation) using structural equation modeling. Results favored partial mediation model where cognitive anxiety factors predicted sport commitment. Results from this model suggest direct and mediated structural relations between concepts. Somatic anxiety had a weak influence on sport commitment (total effects = 0.090 [-.131, .311]). Worry showed a positive influence on sport commitment (total effects = .375 [.262, .486]) through direct and mediated effects. Concentration disruption showed a negative impact on sport commitment (total effects = -.544 [-.724, -.363]) trough mediated effects only, showing a negative path on task-oriented coping and a positive path on disengagement-oriented coping. As a whole, our findings identify task coping efforts undertaken by adolescent athletes as a key element in the relationship between competitive anxiety and sport commitment. These findings provide preliminary evidence for the design of coping interventions in adolescents.

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Contestar a un gran número de ítems puede suponer una gran carga para las personas participantes, lo cual puede empeorar la calidad de los datos recogidos. Por este motivo, el propósito de nuestro estudio es presentar el método de Máxima Información, Mínima Molestia (MIMO) para el desarrollo de versiones cortas en psicología del deporte. Nuestro protocolo propone cuatro fases para preparar la versión corta de un cuestionario ya existente. Concretamente, proponemos (a) realizar una selección inicial de ítems en base a criterios teóricos, psicométricos y de comprensión (Fase I); (b) refinar la versión corta gracias a las opiniones de un panel de personas expertas (Fase II); (c) evaluar la comprensión de los ítems por parte de la población diana (Fase III); y (d) evaluar la estructura factorial, fiabilidad y validez de relación con otras variables (Fase IV). Para cada fase, aportamos justificación, explicamos su desarrollo, las personas involucradas, y ofrecemos un ejemplo real de cómo podría aplicarse. En esencia, el método MIMO permite desarrollar versiones cortas que cuiden de las personas participantes, evalúen los aspectos clave de los constructos, conserven las propiedades psicométricas e incrementen la calidad de los datos recogidos.

Disclaimer:"The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein." 3 This handbook was produced based on the results of the Gold in Education and Elite Sport (GEES) project. The whole GEES consortium, listed below, contributed directly to this handbook: Name Organisation Paul Wylleman Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) Koen De Brandt Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) Simon Defruyt Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) Paul De Knop Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) Véronique Leseur INSEP