Psychological strategies of Veterans and service members who participate in organized sports

Abstract

Introduction: The study sought to examine the performance strategies of wounded, ill, and injured service members and Veterans who participate in the Warrior Games. Methods: The Test of Performance Strategies (TOPS) was completed by 23 men and 5 women participants on the first and last days of the Warrior Games. The participants were separated into 2 groups: those who had participated in organized sporting events for more than 1 year (experienced; n=14) and those who had less than 1 year of experience (novice; n=14). A mixed-model ANOVA was used to assess pre–post changes and the effect of experience on total TOPS scores. Results: Overall participation in the Warrior Games did not change the performance strategies used by the participants. However, experienced participants had higher post-competition sub-scale scores than novice participants in the categories of self-talk, goal setting, and activation ( p<0.05). Discussion: While participation in a single Warrior Games event did not appear to change participants' short-term psychological thought processes around competition and practice, more than 1 year of participation in organized sporting events was associated with improved skills.