Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy on Junior Rowers
Condition: Water Sports; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Psychological Techniques; Experience; Stress; Motivation
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      A quasi-experimental study was carried out with the complete team of the Spanish youth team
      of Rowing (n = 16). The setting where the intervention took place was during the
      concentration prior to the 2020 European Rowing Junior Championships. The final assessment
      was carried out the week before the championship (after finishing the 10th week of
      intervention). Psychological variables were assessed using the Psychological Characteristics
      Related to Sport Performance Questionnaire.
    

Detailed description: 
      A quasi-experimental study was carried out with the complete team of the Spanish youth team
      of Rowing (n = 16). The setting where the intervention took place was during the
      concentration prior to the 2020 European Rowing Junior Championships (held in Belgrade
      between September 25th and 27th). The athletes were concentrated without leaving their
      accommodation during the eleven weeks prior to the championship. A total of 27 rowers started
      the concentration, of whom 16 were eventually selected to participate in the championship.

      A mental training program was carried out with the following objectives: (a) to learn to
      manage their level of activation; (b) to train their ability to concentrate; (c) to optimize
      their self-confidence; (d) to learn to compete by improving their racing routines; and (d) to
      integrate mental training into their day-to-day life.

      The athletes worked in small groups of four athletes. In addition, the days that the
      psychologist attended the concentration, he was also present in the training sessions, with
      the aim of giving them feedback on the strategies acquired. The psychologist was present in
      various phases throughout the concentration and there was also a constant online monitoring.
      Each week, a sheet of tasks to be executed and a diary were provided to verify compliance
      with the guidelines.

      The initial assessment was carried out on the second day of the concentration after the
      explanation of the intervention to be carried out. The final assessment was carried out the
      week before the championship (after finishing the 10th week of intervention).

      Psychological variables were assessed using the Psychological Characteristics Related to
      Sport Performance Questionnaire (CPRD) (Gimeno, Buceta, & Perez-Llantada, 2007), based on the
      Psychological Skills Inventory for Sports (PSIS) (Mahoney, Gabriel, & Perkins, 1987). The
      questionnaire consists of 55 items graded in a 5-option Likert scale (from totally disagree
      to totally agree). It also includes a response option "I do not understand" to avoid missing
      answers. CPRD includes five subscales: Stress Control (SC), Influence of Performance
      Evaluation (IPE), Motivation (M), Team Cohesion (TC), and Mental Skills (MS), showing
      acceptable values of internal consistency for the total scale (α = 0.85) and for most of the
      subscales (αSC = 0.88; αIPE = 0.72; αM = 0.67; αTC = 0.78; αMS = 0.34) (Gimeno, &
      Pérez-Llanta, 2010).

      In addition, the following study variables were taken into account: gender, age, years of
      experience in the rowing discipline and the position achieved on the podium in the 2020
      European Championships.
    

Intervention name(s): Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Each week, a sheet of tasks to be executed and a diary were provided to verify compliance with the guidelines:
Week 0. Familiarization: Information gathering
1st week. Self-knowledge and concentration: To know sports psychology and mental training. Information on beliefs and expectations in sport.
2nd week: To integrate daily mental training.
3rd week. Trust: To consolidate concentration activation. To integrate and build confidence (in oneself and in the team).
4th week. Application to sports tactics: To apply concentration strategies to your sports practice. To know those strategies that provide the best results for each athlete.
5th and 6th weeks: To integrate the content already provided.
7th week. Link with the team: To strengthen the bond between team members.
8th week. Daily routines: To improve the daily routine prior to the competition.
9th and 10th weeks: To integrate the content already provided.
Intervention model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Prevention