Some aspects of individual sport athletes’ psychological preparation for the Beijing Olympic Games

Abstract

The aim of the present research was to evaluate the psychological preparation of the athletes of individual sports to the Beijing OG, to identify the problems in this area and to recommend some possible ways of the problem solving. The objectives were as follows: to find out what percentage of individual sports athletes during their preparation to the Beijing OG addressed sport psychologists (SP), if the work with SP met the athletes‘ expectations; if they missed the support of SP, what were the reasons; to identify the athletes’ need for psychological training, to compare collected data with the research carried out in 2000, to propose some possible ways for solving the problems of psychological training. The pen-and-pencil questionnaire was prepared and distributed among the athletes of individual sports of Lithuanian Olympic delegation immediately after the Olympic Games of Beijing. There were 30 athletes who responded. The questionnaire was also prepared for the sport psychologists, four sport psychologists responded, all of them had worked with the athletes of the Olympic team). The questionnaire asked how many athletes of individual sports, the members of the Beijing Olympic delegation, had addressed them during the years 2005 – 2008. The qualitative and quantitative analysis was carried out. Conclusions: In the process of the preparation for the Beijing OG, 30,5% athletes of individual sports addressed SP, and the majority of them had their expectations about the work with SP fulfilled. The athletes who missed SP’s help, did not received it because of the shortage of information and inaccessibility of SP. The majority of individual sport athletes confirm their need for psychological training: they state that SP-counsellor should work in the team and that they would participate in workshops and trainings. In comparison to the year 2000, in 2008 there are significantly more athletes of individual sports who addressed SP in the process of their preparation to the OG. There is a significantly lower percentage of the athletes who think that a SP – counsellor must work in the team. The athletes‘ need for the theoretical and practical psychological training has remained on a similar level. Aiming to solve identified problems, recommendation is to improve SP qualifications, to include SP into the athletes‘ assisting team, to improve psychological education of athletes and coaches, to look for more attractive forms how to educate and present information. It would be optimal to start psychological training of athletes in younger age.