CANADIAN UNIVERSITY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL IN THE ZONE: AN EXAMINATION OF FLOW STATE EXPERIENCES

Jeff Irvine, Kyra Kristensen-Irvine

Abstract


Since first proposed by Csikszentmihalyi in 1975, flow theory has been studied in work environments, education, leisure studies, and sports; however, investigations corresponding to flow in sports typically have been restricted to individual performances, with little research into team sports and even less in women’s team sports. This study investigated eight case studies of female university basketball players at Canadian universities. While confirming previous research into flow experiences, the study also identified some key factors, such as the relatively rare occurrence of flow experiences, the fragility of flow experiences, and the differential impact on individual players of the nine characteristics of flow. In addition, the study identified factors for coaches who wish to optimize flow experiences for their teams.

 

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flow; coaching; basketball; player psychology

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejpe.v12i2.5819

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