Athletes must maintain their physical and mental condition to sustain performance and prevent mental health decline. Given the variability in individual responses to training, tailored conditioning support is crucial. Additionally, multiple factors interact during athlete conditioning, necessitating an analytical approach that effectively captures these complex dynamic relationships. However, previous research and practice have primarily focused on the variability of individual variables and unilateral relationships between group-averaged independent and dependent variables, paying limited attention to interactions among variables within individuals. The psychological network approach, which models the interactions among mental health symptoms to optimize individualized treatments, has recently gained prominence in clinical psychology. Given the significant individual differences in physical and psychological responses and interactions among conditioning variables, this approach may also offer a valuable framework for athlete conditioning. Therefore, this study outlines the psychological network approach and then explores its potential for individualized conditioning strategies. Additionally, building on existing research and practices related to athlete conditioning supports the psychological network approach. We also consider future challenges and research directions for practical applications. In conclusion, despite some challenges, the psychological network approach may provide individualized strategies to optimize athlete performance and mental health.

Acquiring motor skills through practice requires autonomous effort, which can be challenging. This study examined athletes’ autonomous sports practice as a form of self-regulated learning (SRL) and tested the validity of a mediation model including the direct effect of perceptions of leadership behavior directly related to the implementation of SRL, and the indirect effect related to the implementation of SRL through help-seeking. A total of 408 student athletes involved in intercollegiate sport teams completed a questionnaire. A mediation analysis revealed that perceptions of leadership behaviors emphasizing players’ uniqueness and expertise and fostering team integration were positively associated with SRL through autonomous help-seeking. By contrast, perceptions of leadership behaviors that prioritize students’ past experiences were a negatively associated with SRL and positively linked to dependent help-seeking. This study confirmed the proposed model, highlighting the interplay between perceptions of leadership behaviors and help-seeking in facilitating SRL. The findings offer valuable insights into strategies for enhancing SRL.

Although making a mistake under pressure increases the likelihood of another mistake occurring in the next play, it is unclear why mistakes have negative consequences. This study examined the effects of self-recognized mistakes on subsequent psychological, physiological, behavioral, and performance responses. Semi-structured interviews about memorable mistakes made during a match were conducted with 12 university student athletes (six men and six women) in volleyball, tennis, and table tennis. The main questions were about the situation, feelings, thoughts, and physiological symptoms at the time of the mistake, as well as the effect of this mistake on subsequent play. Data from these interviews were analyzed using Steps for Coding and Theorization. The results of the analysis revealed that negative psychological effects such as impatience and guilt, negative physiological effects such as physical discomfort, and negative behavioral effects such as safety-oriented strategies impaired performance. Moreover, teamwork and confidence had the potential to prevent the negative effects of mistakes. In addition, positive psychological effects, such as increased motivation and concentration, occurred after the mistakes.

When athletes are conflicted about whether to be present at or absent from practice, it is necessary to consider the diverse motives behind their behavior. In this study, we developed the Presence Motives Scale in Presence-Absence Conflict for Practice (PMSCP) to comprehensively evaluate why athletes choose to be present at practice. Additionally, this study was intended to categorize the different types of attendance motives among athletes based on the PMSCP. We surveyed 282 college athletes to assess factor structure, reliability, and validity of the PMSCP. Following exploratory factor analysis, we identified 19 items distributed across five factors: dedication to athletic activities, relationships with the coach, team attendance pressure, relationships with teammates, and relationships with family and close ones. Moreover, the internal consistency of each sub-factor was satisfactory. The assessment of retest reliability showed an acceptable intraclass correlation coefficient. Furthermore, regarding comorbid validity, when we conducted correlation analyses with the Sport Commitment, Perfectionism, and Burnout Scales, we observed significant correlations with all the PMSCP subscale scores. Our cluster analysis based on the PMSCP subscale revealed four distinct clusters: 1) pressure and non-engaged motives type, 2) autonomous motives type, 3) intra-team relationship-oriented motives type, and 4) heteronomous motives type.

Recent research has focused on performance after a failure under pressure. This qualitative study investigates psychological responses and coping strategies following a failure in high-pressure defensive softball situations to discern the differential thought processes associated with successful versus unsuccessful performance recoveries. By examining the mental frameworks that contribute to or hinder performance rebound, this research introduces a novel perspective on mitigating repeated failures under pressure, enriching the existing literature on performance psychology. Through individual semi-structured interviews, we gathered insights from five female university softball players, resulting in eight case reports of recovery success and failure following initial defensive failures during high-stakes games. Analysis employing the Steps for Coding and Theorization (SCAT) method revealed that moderate arousal and cognitive switching are essential for preventing failure recurrence. These findings underscore the importance of managing arousal and reframing cognition as effective strategies for enhancing resilience and performance recovery under pressure.