Mindful self-reflection as a strategy to support sustainable high-performance coaching: A mixed method study

High-performance coaches (HPCs) encounter a wide range of demands and face challenges engaging in self-care and recovery activities to promote a sustainable coaching career. In this innovative mixed method study, we aimed to gain an understanding of HPCs' experiences of a brief mindful self-reflection intervention. To address this aim, 18 HPCs completed an 8-week daily intervention and reported their ratings of mood and energy via daily SMS-diaries. Self-reported measures of self-compassion, mindfulness, and well-being were collected at pre-intervention, 2 weeks post-intervention, and 6 months post-intervention. Qualitative data consisted of focus group interviews that were conducted 2 weeks after the intervention ended and a written follow-up containing three questions 6 months after the intervention. To further explore the mechanisms throughout the intervention, participants were categorized into two groups, High Mood and Energy (HME) and Low Mood and Energy (LME), and we compared these groupings with qualitative data. Using reflexive thematic analysis, we subsequently developed two overarching themes from these data that characterized group differences, (viz. HME: "Self-aware and open to attend to self-care needs and well-being" and LME: "Reflecting resistance to the intervention and low self-awareness"). Taken together, we interpret these data to suggest this mindful self-reflection intervention has the potential to enhance HPCs' self-compassion. This work provides knowledge that can help guide both coaches and organizations in their quest to promote sustainable coaching careers in the elite sport context and we offer recommendations for practitioners working with HPCs. In this mixed method study, we examined a mindful self-reflection intervention among HPCs with positive quantitative findings for self-reported self-compassion. Participants were also categorized based on daily ratings of energy and mood and from the qualitative data, we generated themes that provide an understanding of risk-factors and resources for sustainable HPCs. This study provides support that a brief, daily, mindful self-reflection intervention may aid sustainable high-performance coaching by increasing self-compassion.The promotion of self-reflection may increase awareness of vulnerability and lower the threshold for help-seeking among HPCs, and sport organizations might promote similar interventions with the aim of supporting sustainability among individual HPCs and psychologically healthier elite sport environments.The knowledge developed here on risk factors and resources associated with sustainable high-performance coaching could be used by those responsible for coach education, particularly for coaches transitioning into elite sport.