What does this research mean for the field?

Collegiate athletes face significant anxiety, pressure, and stress, highlighting the need for a structured performance psychology curriculum delivered through experiential learning to support their holistic well-being. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to develop a performance psychology curriculum for collegiate athletes to enhance their mental and physical performance.

May 31, 20260 citationsOpen Access

Bridging the Gap Between Athletics and Academics to Enhance Athlete Performance

TETracey Edson

Key Points

The aim is to develop a performance psychology curriculum for collegiate athletes to enhance their mental and physical performance.
Survey conducted with 15 Power 4 Athletics Staff from NCAA Division I institutions.
Participants identified key mental health factors affecting athletes, including anxiety and stress.
Exploration of experiential learning as an effective content delivery method.
Survey respondents ranked anxiety, pressure, and stress as top performance psychology factors.
Need for a structured performance psychology course to support athlete well-being was demonstrated.
Emphasis on engaging and relevant content delivery methods to accommodate athletes' schedules.

Abstract

This study was conducted to identify key components that could inform the development of a performance psychology curriculum tailored for collegiate athletes with hopes of strengthening the mental and physical performance by increasing psychological literacy and promoting holistic well-being. Participants (15 Power 4 Athletics Staff) were selected based on their professional role in supporting student-athlete well-being at Power 4 NCAA Division I institutions. Survey respondents identified anxiety, pressure and stress as the top three mental health and performance psychology factors faced by athletes. They emphasized the importance of using experiential learning as a core method of content delivery as it would be most impactful. The results demonstrate the need for a structured course to better support athlete well-being. This study highlights the importance of delivering content that is valuable and engaging for athletes, given the demands of their existing schedules.

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