Reply Post
Your reply post should read approximately 250 to 350 words in length and should reference at least one citation from the article the other student read for their initial post. To receive the maximum points, your post should include a reference from the textbook, an article other students read, and one of this week’s ancillary readings.
Prompt
Analyze another student’s initial post. Examine the application of an article to the text chapter and compare it to your own application.
Parameters
- Analyze one student’s post. What are one or two major questions you have after reading their post?
- Reread the section of the textbook they reference, as well as the article they cited; then use these sources to address your question(s)
- Follow APA guidelines
A new learning point for me connects the outcome of mental toughness in athletes with the potential integration of advances made in wearable technology. The textbook referenced “mental links to excellence” (Williams & Krane, 2021) in relation to athletes consistently adhering to proper psychological skills in order to achieve and maintain peak performance. The application of proper coping strategies and routines of athletes could lead to the potential physical and mental benefits of wearing sensors, such as WHOOP band or FitBit, to help track their workload and recovery process. Integrating this type of technology according to Seshadri et al’s study, focusing primarily on the physiological health (i.e. heart rate, sleep quality) and biomechanical forces (i.e. motion, physical performance) of an athlete, could potentially result in positive and/or negative correlations within an athlete. This type of data provided by these devices could potentially provide an athlete with useful information pertaining to their physical health while also stimulating a sense of total commitment to their professional routine. An article referencing the integration of VR systems into sport highlights the potential for increased positive outcomes through more realistic and immersive environments while simultaneously depicting how individual mentality plays a role in the potential long term benefits surrounding VR credibility. (Neumann et al., 2016) This same concept can be applied to the perceived intention versus the actual application of said device or fitness app, as seen in Angosto et al’s study highlighting this importance. This grays the line between this data being helpful to performance levels or the possible rendering of a contradictory mental state due to perception. Therefore as an SPC working with an athlete using a similar device, the ethical responsibility lies on the SPC to review and familiarize themselves with the technology before implementing any opinion; especially if the athlete displays a strong psychological connection to said device. Creating a framework comprised of a series of questions for the athlete allows them to arrive at an answer themselves surrounding the implementation of such into their routine while positioning the potential “dark side” or falsity behind incorporating tech. (Windt et al., 2020)
References:
Angosto, S., García-Fernández, J., Valantine, I., & Grimaldi-Puyana, M. (2020). The intention to use fitness and physical activity apps: a systematic review. Sustainability, 12(16), 6641.
Neumann, D. L., Moffitt, R. L., Thomas, P. R., Loveday, K., Watling, D. P., Lombard, C. L., & Tremeer, M. A. (2018). A systematic review of the application of interactive virtual reality to sport. Virtual Reality, 22(3), 183-198.
Seshadri, D. R., Li, R. T., Voos, J. E., Rowbottom, J. R., Alfes, C. M., Zorman, C. A., & Drummond, C. K. (2019). Wearable sensors for monitoring the internal and external workload of the athlete. Npj Digital Medicine, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-019-0149-2
Williams, J. M., & Krane, V. (2021). Applied Sport Psychology: Personal Growth To Peak Performance. McGraw-Hill Education.
Windt, J., MacDonald, K., Taylor, D., Zumbo, B. D., Sporer, B. C., & Martin, D. T. (2020). “To Tech or Not to Tech?” A Critical Decision-Making Framework for Implementing Technology in Sport. Journal of Athletic Training, 55(9), 902-910.
