Challenges and stresses experienced by athletes and coaches leading up to the Paralympic Games

Abstract

The demands of high-performance sport are exacerbated during the lead up to the Major Games (i.e., Paralympics). The purpose of this study was to better understand the challenges experienced and strategies utilized by Australian athletes (n = 7) and coaches (n = 5) preparing for the Tokyo Paralympic Games using semi-structured interviews. The thematic analysis highlighted challenges specific to participants’ sport (e.g., budgetary constraints, decentralized experiences, athletes with various impairments), personal life (e.g., moving cities to access coaching, postponing vocational/educational developments, isolation from social circles), and associated uncertainties (e.g., COVID-19, qualifications, accreditations). Participants managed these challenges by utilizing strategies to ‘anticipate and prepare’ (e.g., detailed planning, effective communication, contingency plans) and ‘manage expectations’ (e.g., understanding specific roles and boundaries, focusing on the process [i.e., effort over results]). Trust and communication between athletes and coaches was key in coaches’ better understanding of how athletes’ impairments interact with their training and competition environments and tailor support to each athlete’s unique needs. Last, participants reflected on the ‘pressure’ of the Games due to their performance having an impact on their career trajectory ‘post-Tokyo’ with some athletes contemplating retirement and others realizing the consequences of their performance on sport-related vocation and sponsorship. Coaches also accepted the success of their programs and job security will depend on outcomes at the Games. The findings from this study shed light on factors to consider to reduce challenges for teams preparing for major competitions but also highlight key practical implications to support athletes and coaches leading up, during, and post-major Games.

Regression Analysis of Perceived Stress among Elite Athletes from Changes in Diet, Routine and Well-Being: Effects of the COVID-19 Lockdown and “Bubble” Training Camps

“…[ 6 ]. Coaching elite para-athletes requires a more adaptive approach (e.g., considering the athlete’s unique abilities) [ 36 ] that may be challenged by remote working. The current data revealed that 16% of the increase in perceived stress during lockdown was associated with sport classification ( Table 2 ).…”

Competing at the Cybathlon Championship for Athletes With Disabilities: Long-Term Motor Imagery Brain-Computer Interface Training of a Tetraplegic Cybathlete

“…evidenced an increase in alpha activity recorded during the user's volitional resting-state, across MBSR sessions, which was correlated with mindfulness practice and predicted BCI performance [42]. Strategies to reduce challenges and stress when preparing for the competition include anticipation and preparation through detailed planning, including contingency planning, and expectation management, i.e., focusing on the process rather than the outcome [43]. Training in MBSR would t with these approaches to stress management, and enhance BCI task performance under the pressure of competition.…”

Competing at the Cybathlon championship for people with disabilities: long-term motor imagery brain–computer interface training of a cybathlete who has tetraplegia

“…Stieger et al [ 46 ] evidenced an increase in alpha activity recorded during the user’s volitional resting-state, across MBSR sessions, which was correlated with mindfulness practice and predicted BCI performance. Strategies to reduce challenges and stress when preparing for the competition include anticipation and preparation through detailed planning, including contingency planning, and expectation management, i.e., focusing on the process rather than the outcome [ 47 ]. Training in MBSR would fit with these approaches to stress management and enhance BCI task performance under the pressure of competition.…”