| This study examined four Canadian Olympic athletes' attitudes towards mental training and their implementation strategies before, during, and after the 2012 London Olympics. The athletes competed in a variety of sports including rowing, swimming and track and field. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted and written-up as in-depth narratives to provide rich insight into these athletes' perspectives and unique experiences. The narratives were analyzed individually and were then compared and contrasted across all four. All four athletes expressed a positive attitude towards the importance of mental training. However, they differed in their underlying beliefs as to whether mental training was a fundamental or supplementary component to their preparation and subsequent performance in London. Themes that emerged as influencing the development of these attitudes include prior experience and maturity of the athlete. In regards to their implementation methods, the athletes all used mental training but their approaches ranged from implementing holistically to a narrow approach. Future research should investigate the different factors that may impact an athletes' attitude towards mental training such as team versus individual sport, gender, and years of experience. Additionally, exploring what a holistic mental training plan would look like compared to a supplementary approach and whether they result in differences in athlete performance. |
