It is well known that athletic injury could cause emotional distress. However, in the process of cognitive changes to accommodate these highly stressful experiences, some athletes report experiences that reflect posttraumatic growth (PTG). PTG is viewed as a positive psychological change resulting from a struggle with a highly challenging crisis. This prospective study was designed to examine the association of Core Beliefs Shaken and Deliberate Rumination with PTG following athletic injuries. University student-athletes (N=336) completed a baseline survey that included questions about socio-demographics, sports-related injury experiences, Subjective Unit of Distress and the Japanese version of Event Related Rumination Inventory and Core Beliefs Inventory (Time 1). Four months later (Time 2), 312 of the same athletes completed the PTG Scale After an Athletic Injury. Data of 108 participants that met the screening criteria were analyzed. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that the association of Core Beliefs Shaken and Deliberate Rumination with PTG was different for different PTG subscales. Core Beliefs Shaken was associated Relating to Team Members and Better Preparation on Competition. Deliberate Rumination was associated all PTG subscales. Moreover, the interaction between Core Beliefs Shaken and Deliberate Rumination was significant for Better Preparation on Competition. These findings suggest that developing an environment in which athletes reflect on themselves could contribute to their psychological growth.

Grit is a noncognitive ability that predicts success in various domains and athlete performance and burnout tendencies. Previous studies have shown a U-shaped curvilinear relationship between grit and athlete performance and burnout. However, the curvilinear model and the linear model was not compared. This study aimed to examine the curvilinear relationship between grit (perseverance of effort, consistency of interest, and adaptability to situation), athlete performance and burnout, and somatic symptoms by comparing it with the linear relationship. We surveyed university student athletes (N = 270) and conducted multiple regression and polynomial regression analyses. The models were compared using Akaike’s International Criterion (AIC). The results showed curvilinear relationships between perseverance of effort, emotional exhaustion for athletic practices, total burnout, and somatic symptoms. Additionally, adaptability to situation negatively predicted all burnout subscales. However, consistency of interest positively predicted lack of personal accomplishment. These results indicate that athletes with high perseverance of effort have higher burnout tendency. Furthermore, interventions that enhance adaptability to situation, rather than perseverance of effort and consistency of interest, can prevent burnout in athletes.