COMFORT ZONES AND OPTIMAL CHALLENGE POINTS: PERSPECTIVES FROM CANADIAN UNIVERSITY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL COACHES

Jeff Irvine, Kyra Kristensen-Irvine

Abstract


Abundant research has found that athletes’ mental states impact performance and learning. This paper examines two aspects of players’ mental health: comfort zone and optimal challenge point. While comfort zones have been examined previously and are relatively common in both academic and popular culture, the optimal challenge point (OCP) framework has been less well researched, particularly in relation to team sports. This study examined awareness and use of comfort zones and OCP specifically among Canadian university women’s basketball coaches. This sector was chosen as it represents university coaches in Canada while still comprising a relatively small potential sample. Results of the study show that although the respondent coaches generally are well aware of and use the concept of comfort zones in their coaching, OCP remains less well known despite coaches’ use of many of its principles in their respective practices.

 

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Keywords


comfort zone, optimal challenge point, coaching, basketball, player psychology

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejpe.v11i2.5404

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