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running head: athletes’ and coaches’ views on mental toughness
keys to..researcher conducted interviews with coaches and student-athletes from a
variety of..38
mental toughness
9. appendix c – consent letter to marietta college...
Running head: ATHLETES’ AND COACHES’ VIEWS ON MENTAL TOUGHNESS
Keys to Athletic Success:
A Study of Student-athletes’ and Coaches’ Views on Mental Toughness
A Thesis
Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for
The Degree Master of Arts in the
Graduate School of Marietta College
By
Andrea J. Hoover
*****
Marietta College
2006
Masters Examination Committee:
Dr. William Bauer, Advisor
Approved by
________________________
Advisor
Department of Education
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Mental Toughness ii
ABSTRACT
Athletes and coaches around the world strive daily for success in sport. There is a never-
ending search for knowledge about what gives athletes and teams that certain edge to
overcome the competition and reach their full potential. Mental toughness is often
included in discussions related to traits of a successful performer. Some sport
professionals believe that the mental part of athletics is the hardest to train. The purpose
of this study was to explore athletes’ and coaches’ views and attitudes about mental
toughness. The researcher conducted interviews with coaches and student-athletes from a
variety of athletic programs at Marietta College, a NCAA Division III Institution in
Southeastern Ohio.
Mental Toughness iii
DEDICATION
To my family:
Mom, Dad, Betsy, Katy, Brad, Josh, Emma
and my Grandmothers
Thank you all for your continuous support in everything I do.
To Tom Symons
Thank you for giving me this opportunity and helping me through it.
Mental Toughness iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Abstract ………………………………………………………………………………… ii
Dedication ……………………………………………………………………………… iii
Chapters:
1. Introduction ………………………………………………………………… 1
Statement of the Problem ………………………………………………. 3
Purpose …………………………………………………………………. 3
Research Questions …………………………………………………….. 3
Central Phenomena ..…………………………………………………… 3
Limitations of the Study ………………………………………………... 3
2. Review of Literature ……………………………………………………….. 5
3. Methods ……………………………………………………………………..10
Study Design ……………………………………………………………10
Participants ……………………………………………………………...10
Procedure ………………………………………………………………..11
4. Results ………………………………………………………………………13
5. Discussion …………………………………………………………………. 28
6. References ...……………………………………………………………….. 35
7. Appendix A – Interview Questions………………………………………... 37
8. Appendix B – Marietta College Human Subjects Review Form………….. 38
Mental Toughness
9. Appendix C – Consent Letter to Marietta College Athletic Director……. 40
10. Appendix D – Signed Consent from Marietta College Athletic Director....41
v
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1
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
The game clock ticks to five seconds. The game-winning play, set up by the
coach during the team’s final time-out, is in motion. The gymnasium is packed with fans
and the echoes of their countdown ring in the players’ ears. The shooting guard’s feet are
set, the ball is passed and the shot goes up. What does that player possess that gives the
coach and the team confidence to put the game in that person’s hands? What makes that
player successful under pressure? Coaches and athletes of all ages and skill levels face
situations similar to this one daily. What are the keys to success in sport?
Athletes and coaches continuously search for knowledge that is going to give
them a competitive edge and make them successful. Frequently, leaders in their field are
studied. Who is the best of the best and what are their secrets? Basketball coaches may
study Duke University’s head coach Mike Krzyzewski to find his keys to success.
Young athletes may look to Michael Jordan to seek out what made him reach his
potential and climb to the top of the basketball world. Researchers usually find that many
factors contribute to athletic success. Of course, physical fitness and athletic ability are
obvious parts of that list, but another characteristic that frequently surfaces when these
top notch athletes and programs are studied is mental toughness (Ness, 1997). Presently,
researchers in the sports’ field are looking into this concept of mental toughness and
various ways it can be taught.
Mental Toughness
Sports psychologists, along with coaches and athletes, continue to search for
answers to these questions. The mental part of sport is investigated by participants and
coaches much more than in the past, and sports psychology is becoming more prevalent
in today’s society (Plessinger, 2005). Many articles have been written and theories
created about the attributes that go into mental toughness; however, most of these are
based on personal experience. Quality research on this critical key to success is lacking
and a true definition is hard to find.
This study explored the central phenomena – what is mental toughness and can it
be developed? The researcher interviewed coaches and student-athletes from Marietta
College, a NCAA Division III Institution in Southeastern Ohio. The Marietta athletic
2
teams participate in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC). The OAC is a strong Division
III conference with teams representing a variety of sports frequently ranked among the
nation’s top 25. Marietta’s athletic programs have experienced varied levels of success in
the OAC ranging from winning conference titles to finishing last place. Through the
research process of interviewing subjects and coding the data, the researcher
distinguished themes in four different topics concerning mental toughness. The topics
included:
1. The definition of mental toughness,
2. Characteristics of a mentally tough performer,
3. The ability to develop mental toughness, and
4. Factors in and strategies for the development of mental toughness.
The premise of this study was to provide insight into the views of athletes and coaches on
mental toughness as a key to athletic success.
Mental Toughness
Statement of the Problem
3
The absence of mental toughness is often highlighted as a top reason why athletes
and teams do not reach their full potential and the highest possible level of success.
Athletes frequently struggle with the mental aspect of sport and many coaches question
how to teach and enhance this skill. This researcher is intrigued by this mental factor in
athletic success and discovered little quality research completed in the United States on
the views of athletes and coaches regarding this characteristic.
Purpose and Research Questions
Mental toughness is considered by many professionals in the sports’ field a
critical element to athletic success. The purpose of this study was to explore the views of
athletes and coaches regarding mental toughness. By interviewing both male and
female athletes and coaches from a variety of sports at Marietta College, the researcher
examined how mental toughness is defined by athletes and coaches, what characteristics
are associated with being a mentally tough performer, if mental toughness can be taught
or enhanced in athletes, and how mental toughness is developed in athletes. The
researcher believed a study would be helpful to coaches and athletes striving to reach
their potential and be competitive in their sports.
Central Phenomena
What is mental toughness and can it be developed?
Limitations of the Study
This study was strictly a qualitative study. This researcher explored the views of
athletes and coaches regarding mental toughness. This study’s sample was limited to
NCAA Division III athletes and coaches from one institution in Southeastern Ohio,
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which will not allow the researcher to make generalizations about the views and attitudes
of the entire population of collegiate athletes and coaches across the United States.
Another limitation of this study was the time commitment needed to collect data.
The researcher scheduled interviews around class, practice and competition schedules,
and the selection of subjects was limited to those athletes and coaches who were willing
to volunteer their time. Also, the Marietta College athletic programs are not highly
diverse. Researchers may find different results in a more diverse population of athletes
and coaches.
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CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
In the world of soccer, the name Mia Hamm needs no introduction. The list of
this elite performer’s accomplishments includes: four-time member of the NCAA
champion University of North Carolina soccer team, youngest woman ever to play with
the United States National Team at the age of 15, member of the gold medal winning
United States National Team at the 1996 Olympic Games, first-ever three-time United
States Soccer Athlete-of-the-Year, and generally considered the best all-around woman
soccer player in the world (Womens Soccer World Online). As with many athletes,
Hamm has had a career full of positive moments, disappointing mistakes and nagging
injuries. At the 1995 World Cup in Sweden, when starting goalkeeper Briana Scurry was
ejected from the game, Hamm had to step out of her comfort zone and normal position on
the field and into her teammate’s key position. During the 1996 Olympic Games, Mia
Hamm sprained her ankle against Sweden in the opening round of the games. She fought
through the injury and led her team to victories over Norway and China to claim the
Gold. What helped this elite performer reach her peak potential? What gave her the edge
to overcome adversity and the stress of competing to rise above the rest of her
opponents? Mia Hamm possesses many valuable characteristics that led to her athletic
success, but she states, “The most important attribute a player must have is mental
toughness” (Mack and Casstevens, 2001, p. 24).
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