TY - JOUR
T1 - Understanding the adaptation strategies of canadian olympic athletes using archival data
AU - Schinke, Robert J.
AU - Battochio, Randy C.
AU - Dubuc, Nicole G.
AU - Swords, Shawn
AU - Apolloni, Gord
AU - Tenenbaum, Gershon
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2008 Human Kinetics, Inc.
PY - 2008/12/1
Y1 - 2008/12/1
N2 - Athletes employ a variety of adaptation strategies when adjusting to competitive environments. Fiske (2004) identified five core motives that facilitate human adaptation: (a) understanding, (b) controlling, (c) self-enhancement, (d) belonging, and (e) trusting. Recent qualitative analyses (Schinke, Gauthier, Dubuc, & Crowder, 2007) revealed that these motives correspond to particular adaptation strategies that professional athletes employ in stressful settings. The present study uses analysis of archival data (i.e., journalistic accounts) to explore the adaptation efforts of Canadian Olympic athletes (N = 103) as they prepared for and participated in summer (n = 35) and winter (n = 68) games. Contextual experts with extensive Olympic experience were enlisted to clarify the archival record. Findings revealed that the Olympic athletes used strategies corresponding to each of Fiske’s five motives, as well as numerous specific substrategies. Use of substrategies was consistent across athletes, regardless of Olympic experience, gender, or season (e.g., winter or summer games). Discussion explores the implications of adaptation strategies for Olympic athletes and their supporting staff.
AB - Athletes employ a variety of adaptation strategies when adjusting to competitive environments. Fiske (2004) identified five core motives that facilitate human adaptation: (a) understanding, (b) controlling, (c) self-enhancement, (d) belonging, and (e) trusting. Recent qualitative analyses (Schinke, Gauthier, Dubuc, & Crowder, 2007) revealed that these motives correspond to particular adaptation strategies that professional athletes employ in stressful settings. The present study uses analysis of archival data (i.e., journalistic accounts) to explore the adaptation efforts of Canadian Olympic athletes (N = 103) as they prepared for and participated in summer (n = 35) and winter (n = 68) games. Contextual experts with extensive Olympic experience were enlisted to clarify the archival record. Findings revealed that the Olympic athletes used strategies corresponding to each of Fiske’s five motives, as well as numerous specific substrategies. Use of substrategies was consistent across athletes, regardless of Olympic experience, gender, or season (e.g., winter or summer games). Discussion explores the implications of adaptation strategies for Olympic athletes and their supporting staff.
KW - Amateur athletics
KW - Coping strategies
KW - Elite athletes
KW - Motivation
KW - Qualitative research
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=78751471134&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1123/jcsp.2.4.337
DO - 10.1123/jcsp.2.4.337
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AN - SCOPUS:78751471134
SN - 1932-9261
VL - 2
SP - 337
EP - 356
JO - Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology
JF - Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology
IS - 4
ER -