Abstract:

Research indicates that there is a large set of common malleable factors that predicts performance in both the sporting arena and in the classroom. These factors also have a major impact on the well-being of these performers. High performance student athletes at university level are under a lot of pressure to perform academically and on the sport field, and to simultaneously maintain a well and balanced life style. It therefore made a lot of sense for our university to invest in developing a training program for our high performance student athletes that will enable them to optimize both their sporting and their academic achievements, and to flourish in the rest of their lives as well. A blended training program with the title “Choose to Flourish” was therefore designed and implemented as part of a pilot project in 2016 at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. It has the specific aim of helping student athletes to develop the malleable factors that influence both their performance and well-being.

The Gritty VIPER Mindset model of performance (VIPER = Vision, Intention, Purpose, Energized Execution, Resilience), Seligman’s PERMA model of well-being (PERMA = Positive emotions, Engagement, positive Relationships, Meaning, Achievement) and Weinberg’s four pillars of mental toughness were chosen as the theoretical models to base the contents of our intervention program on. These models also highlight the evidence-based factors that impact performance and that, very importantly, can be developed by individuals: Grit, growth mindsets, optimism, a positive outlook on life, goals, self-efficacy, hope, harmonious passion, purpose, flow, deliberate practice, positivity, the upside of stress and emotions, confidence, motivation, resilience, positive and supporting relationships, and some very specific mental toughness factors. The training program provides opportunities to student athletes to develop each of these factors and to hopefully optimize their performance and well-being in the process.

A blended learning approach and a so-called “GROK-GAUGE-GROW-TRACK” model of presentation are followed in delivering the program (GROK means to understand something profoundly and intuitively): Face-to-face workshops (with group work) are complemented by a comprehensive online service that provides individualized developmental websites (tools) for all athletes - each site contains GROK, GAUGE, GROW and TRACK pages.

To help student athletes to GROK properly they must attend the workshop lectures, study downloadable reading material and presentation slides and watch enriching videos on the GROK pages of their sites. Self evaluations, with feedback, are available for each of the components of the PERMA model of well-being, the Gritty VIPER Mindset model of performance and Weinberg's model of mental toughness on the GAUGE page of these sites. A collection of online activities and exercises are available on the GROW pages of these sites to help athletes to improve their skills and develop the malleable factors that impact performance and well-being. These activities are the core of the program and are meant to be deliberately practised! All interactions with the GROW activities are recorded and are available on the TRACK pages of an athlete’s site.

A pilot project was run in 2016. The program was evaluated very positively by participants. A 100% online version to broaden the possible reach of the course is envisioned for the near future.

Keywords:

Malleable predictors of performance and well-being, blended training program, individualization, support for high performance student athletes.