The Relationship between Resiliency and the Athlete

Abstract

The level of resilience in athletes can impact performance, self-concept, and overall mental health. This synthesis investigates the many factors which contribute, both positively and negatively, to an athlete’s level of resilience. The research was conducted using the EBSCOHOST search engine in the SUNY-Brockport Drake Memorial Library’s online resources. Three databases (SportDiscus, Academic Search Complete, and Physical Education Index) were mined using several different combinations of keywords. Data was collected from a selected critical mass of 10 studies. Each study was conducted in the previous 10 years, peer-reviewed, and data-based. The studies were used to answer the following five research questions: 1. What are factors that impact resiliency in athletes?, 2. What impact do coaches have on an athlete’s resiliency?, 3. Do psychological skills training programs have an impact on the resiliency of athletes?, 4. What role does resiliency play in helping athletes respond to loss in a positive way?, and 5. How can athletes be helped to become more resilient? Results indicate that many internal and external factors affect the level of resiliency in athletes. Mental toughness and positive self-concept, specifically, are positively correlated with high levels of resiliency. Task-oriented coping strategies and mastery-oriented motivational climates have a positive effect on self-concept and on resiliency in athletes. Results can be used to help coaches understand the importance of creating mastery-oriented climates. Furthermore, future studies can investigate the effectiveness of psychological skills training programs and the effects they have on resiliency and on overall mental health. Keywords: Resiliency, Athletics, Coping, Losing, Psychology, Sports