Four week qualitative exploration of personal stressors experienced by elite athletes

Abstract

This study explored the personal stressors experienced by six elite athletes (three female and three male; mean age = 21.38 years; SD = 0.86 years). The athletes completed online daily diaries and weekly semi-structured interviews regarding the stressors they encountered for a period of up to four weeks. Deductive and inductive analyses identified four frameworks regarding performance, organizational, occupational and personal stressors. The performance and organizational frameworks mirrored previous frameworks. The occupational framework identified that elite athletes can possess multiple occupations which caused a conflict between sport and non-sport careers. The personal framework highlighted seven themes (domestic, education, personal financial issues, family, lifestyle, relationships and friendships, and travel arrangements). The findings suggested professionals who work with elite athletes should consider holistic approaches to increase their awareness of athlete demands outside the sporting environment, and implement life skills as interventions.