Coaching under pressure in Australian high-performance sport: A qualitative study of coach mental performance

Pressure in sport comes from a range of perceived factors including uncontrollability, motivation to succeed, and social evaluation. Psychological flexibility is a concept that has been suggested to help performers navigate challenging situations (such as competition pressure) and maintain effective goal-pursuit. In this study, we investigated sport coaches’ experiences during elite-level competitions to deepen the understanding of coach performance under pressure. Ten Australian sport coaches (5 men, 5 women) with an average 22.3 years of experience at Olympic Games, Paralympic Games and World Championships across eight sports (athletics [2], cycling, diving, field hockey [2], netball, rowing, swimming, and water polo) participated in semi-structured interviews. Through a process of reflexive thematic analysis, two main themes were generated: (1) coach mental preparation to perform, and (2) coach mental performance in action. These themes underscored the significance of cognitive, emotional, and behavioural factors in coaching performance at the highest level and emphasised the benefits of articulating specific observable coaching behaviours. The findings are discussed, along with recommendations for more research centred around direct observation of coaching in action.