Investigation of the correlation between athletes’ training continuity and flow experience

The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between athletes’ training continuity and flow experience. Also in the study, it is tested whether age groups, league statuses, sports experience levels provide meaningful differences on the athletes’ training continuity and levels of flow experience or not. 138 voluntarily admitted football players from Muglaspor amateur league, who were selected by using random sampling method, participated in the study. In order to determine the athletes’ training continuity, a “Personal Information Form” which inquire athletes’ training continuity in daily, weekly, monthly and annual training periods, and which consists of 4 questions to describe the participant athletes; and in order to determine the athletes’ flow experience, “Dispositional Flow State Scale-2” which was developed by Jackson and Eklund (2004); tested for validity and reliability and accommodated for Turkish athletes by Asci and colleagues (2007) was used in the study as a data collection tool. According to the results of the study, a very strong positive correlation at 0.001 meaningfulness level was found between the training continuity and flow experience. The results of the study also show that there are meaningful differences on athletes’ training continuity and flow experience in terms of sports experiences. controlled exercises on flow states related to the exercise. Individuals in exercise stated that when they were given the choice to exercise autonomously when selecting the flow state of exercise, they experienced positive changes emotionally during and after the exercise. It was reported that when the individuals participated in an exercise for external reasons like to lose weight, to look attractive, they could not experience optimal performance flow state which is the dedication to the activity they do during the exercise (Ersoz, 2009). On the contrary, it was stated in the study about a tendency towards spare time activities which was worked on by Mannell and colleagues (1988) that individuals who act on external motivation but choose spare time activities freely, experienced the highest levels of optimal performance flow state. It was suggested that optimal performance flow state accompanies having a fun time and positive flow (Kimiecik, 1992). Also, exercising individuals are not aware of the passing time during the activity; being motivated internally fully focus on the task and experience a feeling of doing the task without an effort while enjoying it; feel communion with the activity and have control over all movements during the optimal performance flow experience. When individuals reach this experience, they do their best with a high level of self-confidence and a feeling of autonomy (Asci and colleagues, 2007). In another study, it was stated that optimal performance flow state is related to exercise duration on an important level (Grove and Lewis, 1996). In this context, it can be said that flow state would be at the highest level with a conscious and an active participation in the training and enjoying it. Lastly, a very strong positive correlation was found between the training continuity and the flow experience. Athletes’ training continuity affects optimal performance flow state directly. It can be said that physical, physiological and psychological pressure in training is a good experience for athletes.