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

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Darren J. Devaney Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom

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Mark Stephen Nesti Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom

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Noora J. Ronkainen The University of Jyväskylä, Jyvaskyla, Finland

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Martin A. Littlewood Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom

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David Richardson Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.2020-0131
Keywords:
sport psychology; applied; philosophy of practice; autoethnography
First Published Online:
22 Oct 2021
In Print:
Volume 36: Issue 1
Page Range:
29–39
Restricted access

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.

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