Resilience in the sports context

The resilience is a concept frequently used by clinical psychology to define that cthe ability of individuals to recover from adversity.

However, there is no single way to build resilience and, for example, numerous studies suggest that the ability to manage stress is a factor that contributes to good performance sports.

Facing adversity through sport

In sport it is very common to find stressful elements related to the conditions of the competition or the organization. Therefore, the concept of resilience takes on a nuance closely related to the athlete's quality of life.

Those who present a resilient profile experience greater knowledge incoping skillstowards adversity. That mental strength contributes to the recovery of injuries. A good resilient profile, in addition to good technique, commitment and high social support, are variables that are associated with high performance.

Resilience studies have traditionally been focused on communities or families that have been previously subjected to stressful events. In the field of sport, there is still not as much research on resilience as there has been in the clinical area.

• Related article: "What is Sports Psychology?"

The resilient profile

It must be taken into account that most of the pressures can be self-imposed by the demands of the athlete himself. Galli and Vealey (2008) carried out a study with elite players through interviews about the adverse events they had to overcome in the sport.

These included injuries, performance-related setbacks, illness and transition to another category. They established a model and highlighted the qualities that would belong to a resilient profile; positive attitude, maturity, competitiveness, commitment and a strong determination.

Various psychological variables related to optimism have been analyzed. These variables focus on adversity management and sports performance. To do this, they studied the athlete's moods and mental strength, finding that optimistic people recover more quickly from stressful events. But it was also found that people who maintain an active physical practice, get higher levels of optimism compared to inactive people or sedentary (Kerr, Au and Lindner, 2005).

The case of athletes with disabilities

When talking about resilience and sport, athletes with disabilities should not be forgotten, These athletes have their own characteristics that encourage them to face the adversities.

However, they were found differences in resilience scores according to type of disability they present. Those athletes with cerebral palsy presented worse results than those with spinal cord injuries.

The role of the Sports Psychologist

All these studies highlight the importance of protective factors without neglecting prevention. The use of positive strategies, social support that allows constant feedback, the establishment of clear objectives and the evaluation of the applied strategies are essential to develop useful coping strategies and in the formation of a profile resilient.

This work is the responsibility of the Sports Psychologist, the coach and the athlete, being an integrative task on the part of all in which good planning must be prioritized. The knowledge of both the coaching staff and the Sports Psychologist will generate feelings of self-confidence and security in the athlete, reducing the possibility that potentially stressful situations affect their performance.

The understanding and training about the concept of resilience by professionals in Sports Sciences will allow address the ability of athletes to positively adapt to adversity, thus achieving optimal performance sports.

Regarding the intervention on the resilient profile, the programs to improve the resilient profile can produce important changes in psychosocial variables associated with the injury, illness and intrinsic motivation of the athlete.

• Related article: "10 reasons to put a sports psychologist in your life"

Extending resilience to other facets of life

On the other hand, it should not be forgotten that many abilities that have been acquired through sport are extrapolated to other areas of life (school, family, work).

The practice of sports from its earliest stages is a school of values ​​that promotes healthy habits. Therefore, the benefits in the acquisition of these strategies can be multiple, not only in sports performance if you want to be an elite athlete, but also in the education and personal development in children and adolescents.