The Philosophical Underpinning of Athlete Lifestyle Support: An Existential-Humanistic Perspective

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Darren J. Devaney ◽  
Mark Stephen Nesti ◽  
Noora J. Ronkainen ◽  
Martin A. Littlewood ◽  
David Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Talent Development ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Strategic Positioning ◽  
Performance Psychology ◽  
Ethnographic Data ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Philosophical Underpinning

This study aims to highlight how an existential-humanistic perspective can inform athlete support and in doing so, emphasize the importance of explicating the philosophical underpinnings of athlete lifestyle support. Drawing on applied experience with elite youth cricketers over a 12-month period, ethnographic data were collected through the observation, maintenance of case notes, and a practitioner reflective diary. Based on thematic analysis, we created three nonfictional vignettes that we use to illustrate how existential-humanistic theorizing can inform lifestyle support. We discuss the implications of this professional philosophy in terms of considerations for performance and talent development programs, and how holistic support for athletes is positioned. We also discuss implications for athlete lifestyle and performance psychology practitioners, with regard to training, underpinning theoretical grounding of support and the strategic positioning of their practitioner roles.

scholarly journals Pacing and Self-regulation: Important Skills for Talent Development in Endurance Sports

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 831-835 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marije T. Elferink-Gemser ◽  
Florentina J. Hettinga
Keyword(s):  
Performance Characteristic ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Talent Development ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Endurance Sports ◽  
Youth Athletes ◽  
Complex Skill ◽  
Cyclical Process ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Under Construction

Pacing has been characterized as a multifaceted goal-directed process of decision making in which athletes need to decide how and when to invest their energy during the race, a process essential for optimal performance. Both physiological and psychological characteristics associated with adequate pacing and performance are known to develop with age. Consequently, the multifaceted skill of pacing might be under construction throughout adolescence, as well. Therefore, the authors propose that the complex skill of pacing is a potential important performance characteristic for talented youth athletes that needs to be developed throughout adolescence. To explore whether pacing is a marker for talent and how talented athletes develop this skill in middle-distance and endurance sports, they aim to bring together literature on pacing and literature on talent development and self-regulation of learning. Subsequently, by applying the cyclical process of self-regulation to pacing, they propose a practical model for the development of performance in endurance sports in youth athletes. Not only is self-regulation essential throughout the process of reaching the long-term goal of athletic excellence, but it also seems crucial for the development of pacing skills within a race and the development of a refined performance template based on previous experiences. Coaches and trainers are advised to incorporate pacing as a performance characteristic in their talent-development programs by stimulating their athletes to reflect, plan, monitor, and evaluate their races on a regular basis to build performance templates and, as such, improve their performance.

Influences on Academic Talent Development of Black Girls in K-12: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
pp. 1932202X2110138
Author(s):  
Brenda K. Davis
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Racial Identity ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Systematic Approach ◽  
Talent Development ◽  
Academic Development ◽  
Black Girls ◽  
Personal Attributes ◽  
Future Research ◽  
K 12

Black girls experience numerous challenges to their academic development. This study examines the literature from the last 30 years related to the influences on the academic talent development of school-aged Black girls. Environmental and intrapersonal influences to Black girls academic talent development are explored. Using a systematic approach, 43 articles are reviewed and summarized. Thematic analysis conducted on the results and findings sections from each article reveal four major themes related to personal attributes, racial identity, relationships, and institutions. The themes expand the understanding of the complexity of talent development of Black girls and identify several intrapersonal and environmental influences that can promote or hinder academic achievement. Implications for future research are discussed.

scholarly journals Strategic positioning of EAP in South African workplaces

2003 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. G. Matlhape
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Employee Satisfaction ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Chain Model ◽  
Employee Assistance ◽  
Strategic Positioning ◽  
And Performance ◽  
A Company

Two phenomena are having a profound effect on management and industry in the 21st century. The first one is the increasing rate and depth of competition locally, regionally, and globally, and the consequent increase in focus on achieving competitiveness by companies. The second phenomenon is the increasing appreciation of the importance of employees in assisting the company to gain a competitive advantage over its competitors. Employee Assistance Programmes have been used as part of the business strategy to enhance employee functioning, loyalty, and performance in organisations around the world for a good part of the 20th century. In South Africa this service did not gain much momentum until the 1980. Despite the growth of EAP in South Africa, however, in most cases it still remains on the periphery of real business activities and is often regarded as a "nice to have" rather than as a business imperative. The location of EAP within a company is very important in determining its impact within the organisation. Because of EAPs capacity to impact on both individual employees and the organisation as its primary client, it has potential to make a great impact in organisations' business processes, where these interface with individual output and wellbeing. A service-profit-chain model was introduced as a link between employee satisfaction and company profitability. This article gives an in-depth focus on EAP and the important role it can play in achieving employee satisfaction.

BREATHING SHOES AND COMPLEMENTARITIES: STRATEGIC INNOVATION IN A MATURE INDUSTRY

2008 ◽  
Vol 12 (02) ◽  
pp. 139-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
ARNALDO CAMUFFO ◽  
ANDREA FURLAN ◽  
PIETRO ROMANO ◽  
ANDREA VINELLI
Keyword(s):  
Product Innovation ◽  
Strategic Positioning ◽  
Strategic Innovation ◽  
Footwear Industry ◽  
Industry Performance ◽  
Unique Nature ◽  
Strategic Position ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Operational Excellence

This paper tells the story of Geox, an Italian footwear manufacturer that, in less than a decade, has become one of the world's largest shoe manufacturers. Applying the related notions of complementarity and performance landscape to study strategic positioning in the footwear industry, we show that, though grounded on product innovation (the original Geox breathes® patented system which allows ventilation in waterproof rubber sole), Geox's competitive advantage has not grown out of operational excellence in single activities in the business, but, rather, derives from a unique and consistent configuration of complementary activities. Such configuration represents an innovative strategic position and corresponds to a peak in the footwear industry performance landscape. The case study offers anecdotal evidence in support of complementarity based economic theory. It confirms that, in the presence of complementarities, rivals find strategy imitation and reverse engineering difficult due to the unique nature of the relationships among complementary variables.

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