The Potential Benefits of Non-skills Training (Mental Toughness) for Elite Athletes: Coping With the Negative Psychological Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The spread of COVID-19 has had a significant impact on global sport. This is especially true at the elite level, where it has disrupted training and competition. Concomitantly, restrictions have disrupted long-term event planning. Many elite athletes remain unsure when major events will occur and worry about further interruptions. Although some athletes have successfully adapted to the demands of the COVID-19 crisis, many have experienced difficulties adjusting. This has resulted in psychological complications including increased stress, anxiety, and depression. This article critically examines the extent to which non-cognitive skills training, in the form of increased awareness of Mental Toughness, can help elite athletes inoculate against and cope with negative psychological effects arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Non-cognitive skills encompass intrapersonal (motivations, learning strategies, and self-regulation) and interpersonal (interactions with others) domains not directly affected by intellectual capacity. Previous research indicates that enhancement of these spheres can assist performance and enhance mental well-being. Moreover, it suggests that training in the form of increased awareness of Mental Toughness, can improve the ability to cope with COVID-19 related challenges. In this context, Mental Toughness encompasses a broad set of enabling attributes (i.e., inherent and evolved values, attitudes, emotions, and cognitions). Indeed, academics commonly regard Mental Toughness as a resistance resource that protects against stress. Accordingly, this article advocates the use of the 4/6Cs model of Mental Toughness (i.e., Challenge, Commitment, Control, and Confidence) to counter negative psychological effects arising from COVID-19.

Effects of COVID-19 Home Confinement on Behavior, Perception of Threat, Stress and Training Patterns of Olympic and Paralympic Athletes

“…Thus, although some athletes have successfully adapted to the demands of the COVID-19 crisis, many have experienced difficulties adjusting, showing psychological complications including increased stress, anxiety and depression, as seen in prior studies [ 27 ].…”

The mediating role of anxiety and depression in the relationship between coping styles and life satisfaction among frontline medical workers during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A cross‐sectional study

“…This finding may be associated with the higher psychological resilience observed among doctors than nurses 33 . Resilience has been also shown to be beneficial in mitigating the adverse effects of the pandemic on mental health 61,62 …”

Coping Strategies and Perceiving Stress among Athletes during Different Waves of the COVID-19 Pandemic—Data from Poland, Romania, and Slovakia

“…Considering professional cyclists, those who followed a Sport Psychology Intervention (online) during the pandemic coped better with sport psychological stressors (no significant improvements were found, however, for sport social and for sport emotional well-being factors) [ 27 ]. In order to cope with negative psychological effects arising from the pandemic, researchers discussed the benefits of mental toughness training in the case of athletes [ 28 ], important aspects, since professional athletes obtained lower values for the agreeableness factor (during the pandemic crisis), compared to non-professionals [ 29 ]. Counselling athletes in an unprecedented situation, as in the COVID-19 pandemic, is very important for acquiring healthy behaviors.…”