Performers' appraisals of stressors encountered in sport organizations

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate athleles' appraisals of organizational stressors. Four sport performers (2 males and 2 females) compleled Stress Appraisal Logs (SAL) over a 6 week competition period regarding the stressors they encountered within their organizalional climate. The participants predominantly appraised sources of organizalional strain as threatening or harmful, with little control and few coping resources available. Appraisals were categorized into three dimensions: primary appraisals, secondary appraisals, and reappraisals, with control emerging as a major factor in determining performers' appraisals. The findings indicate that performers do not respond to organizational stressors in autonomy. Indeed, they reflect deeply upon the personal meaning and importance of stressors, evaluate their resources to deal with the situation, and occasionally reappraise the situation in a different light. The findings are discussed in relation to the extant literature and in terms of their implications for research, theory, and practice.