| 11. |
- Book, Robert T., et al.
(author)
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Professional migration from the United States to Europe : Composite vignettes of black male basketball players from underserved communities
- 2021
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In: Psychology of Sport And Exercise. - : Elsevier. - 1469-0292 .- 1878-5476. ; 54
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: To explore how the intersectional perspective of being a Black male from an underserved community shaped the professional cultural transition of American basketball players to Europe. Design: and Method: The seven Black male athletes, who met the criteria of playing at least one year in a professional European basketball league and spending their formative years in an underserved community in the USA, participated in this study. Life story interviews, lasting between one and 2 h, were analysed through the principles of narrative analysis. Creative non-fiction was used to represent the findings in the form of composite vignettes using the words of the participants to create an evocative and meaningful experiential reconstruction. Findings: The analysis uncovered three primary themes; steppingstones to becoming a professional basketball migrant; from America to Europe: a whole new world once again; and “don't bother to unpack your bags:” from ups and downs to settlement plans. Within these themes, the intersectional identity of being a Black male from a poor community underpinned the storyline. Conclusions: All seven participants left their underserved community at some point during their teenage years, and this transition into a more affluent, White dominated society proved beneficial for the move to Europe. Further, the shared intersectional identity of being an African American male from a low socioeconomic community had critical implications for how they experienced the cultural transition to Europe, and how they were received by the host environment. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd
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| 12. |
- Book, Robert T., et al.
(author)
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Towards investigating athletic talent developmentenvironments in underserved communities in the United States
- 2018
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In: The Science and Practice of Racket Sport for Improved Performance and Health: Special Focus on Table Tennis. - Halmstad : Halmstad University. - 9789163971297 ; , s. 69-70
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Introduction: This presentation will focus on the content of PhD project of the first author who has had extensive experiences of working in American schools within underserved (i.e., poor) communities. In spite of lacking resources, some of these schools are able to contribute into developing high performance athletes in various sports (including racket sports) and empowering them to achieve the success against the odds. These real life examples served as an inspiration to investigate such athletes’ career pathways and environments in which they had grown up.Aim and theoretical framework: The aim of this project is to acquire knowledge regarding the challenges and barriers faced by athletic talent development environments in underserved communities (UATDEs) and how successful UATDEs manage to help athletes achieve athletic and personal success against the odds. The study is based on the holistic ecological approach (Henriksen, 2010; Henriksen & Stambulova, 2017), and particularly on the athletic talent development environment (ATDE) model. The model was previously applied to study ATDEs in Scandinavia with its high social and economic equality. Conversely, in the United States, with its large income gap, many underserved communities struggle to produce elite athletes, and little investigation has been conducted surrounding such environments.Project design and method: The project will consist of three studies. Study 1will focus on exploring career pathways to athletic success and related environmental and personal factors in American athletes with low SES background through a series of interviews. Another series of interviews will be used in Study 2 to examine key stakeholders' perspectives on challenges faced and strategies implemented in UATDEs. In Study 3, the case study approach will be used to investigate two successful UATDEs within American communities and identify shared features responsible for their talent development success.Expected results: It is expected that Study 1 will reveal that athletes at the UATDEs were forced to deal with hardship and overcome a number of challenges that made them more resilient compared to those from affluent circumstances. From Study 2 it is expected to identify a spectrum of complicated issues (e.g., lack of funding, less access to practice time, lower moral, high stress and low levels of communication and support) that the UATDEs deal with. The anticipated results from Study 3 are that successful UATDEs have unique but also shared features that may form the basis for developing UATDE frameworks as an expansion of the holistic ecological approach.
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| 13. |
- Book, Robert T., et al.
(author)
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“We are their last chance” : A case study of a college basketball environment in an American underserved community
- 2024
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In: Journal of Applied Sport Psychology. - Philadelphia, PA : Routledge. - 1041-3200 .- 1533-1571. ; 36:1, s. 1-23
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this case study we used the holistic ecological approach (HEA) to examine an underserved athletic talent development environment (UATDE) in the United States to: (1) holistically describe a successful UATDE—in this case a community college basketball program known as Best Community College, and (2) explore factors contributing to the success of developing athletes that repeatedly earn athletic scholarships. Data were collected via in-situ observations, document analysis, and interviews (both formal and informal) with coaches, players, and other key stakeholders. The findings were summarized in two empirical models: (1) the UATDE empirical model of Best Community College, and (2) the underserved environment success factors (UESF) empirical model of Best Community College. The operation of the UATDE was significantly influenced by the underserved community in which it was embedded, translating to a lack of financial and human resources, while the team’s roster was occupied by athletically talented, but psychosocially vulnerable players. These challenges were overcome, in part, by a dedicated support team as well as the cultural paradigm established by the head coach as a cultural leader. Conclusively, this case study constitutes an important supplementation to the evolving body of literature utilizing the HEA, highlighting how an environmental context can shift the focus of athletic talent development when we consider the concept of a UATDE. Lay summary: This case study explored a successful community college basketball program located within an underserved American community. While the investigation concludes that socioeconomic challenges in the surrounding community created significant barriers to success, the head coach and support team were able to help players succeed in sport and life.IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Those working in community colleges must be made aware of issues stemming from where the environment is located and also related to the backgrounds of the prospective athletes. Community college sports programs are an important steppingstone to life and sport success for the athletes they serve but a lack of human and financial resources are a large barrier to success that can be counteracted by strong cultural leaders within the sport program. UATDEs must be considered a unique context and practitioners should let this context inform their practice, for example, by supporting the staff as much as the athletes, supporting the head coach in developing a functional cultural paradigm, and supporting the athletes’ broader psychosocial development and not only their performance. © 2023 Association for Applied Sport Psychology.
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| 14. |
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| 15. |
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| 16. |
- Haldrup, Kristoffer, et al.
(author)
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Ultrafast X-Ray Scattering Measurements of Coherent Structural Dynamics on the Ground-State Potential Energy Surface of a Diplatinum Molecule
- 2019
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In: Physical Review Letters. - 0031-9007. ; 122:6
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report x-ray free electron laser experiments addressing ground-state structural dynamics of the diplatinum anion Pt2POP4 following photoexcitation. The structural dynamics are tracked with <100 fs time resolution by x-ray scattering, utilizing the anisotropic component to suppress contributions from the bulk solvent. The x-ray data exhibit a strong oscillatory component with period 0.28 ps and decay time 2.2 ps, and structural analysis of the difference signal directly shows this as arising from ground-state dynamics along the PtPt coordinate. These results are compared with multiscale Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics simulations and demonstrate how off-resonance excitation can be used to prepare a vibrationally cold excited-state population complemented by a structure-dependent depletion of the ground-state population which subsequently evolves in time, allowing direct tracking of ground-state structural dynamics.
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| 17. |
- Henriksen, Kristoffer, et al.
(author)
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A holistic ecological approach to sport and study : The case of an athlete friendly university in Denmark
- 2020
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In: Psychology of Sport And Exercise. - Amsterdam : Elsevier. - 1469-0292 .- 1878-5476. ; 47
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives: Dual career development environments (DCDEs) exist to support student-athletes in their endeavours to combine sport with education or work. Such environments are likely to vary in their structure, processes, philosophy, and degree of efficiency. With the overall aim of applying the holistic ecological approach (Henriksen, Stambulova & Roessler, 2010) to the study of DCDEs, the objectives of the present study are: (a) to provide a holistic description of a Danish athlete-friendly university as a DCDE, and (b) to investigate the factors influencing the environment’s effectiveness. Methodology: Based on two working models, the study takes a case study approach and a real-time perspective and uses multiple sources of data (interviews, observations, and documents). Results: Two empirical models summarize the findings and portray the DCDE as: (1) centred on a dual career (DC) support team that serves to support communication and coordination between the sport, study, and private domains; (2) focused on providing individual solutions for each athlete; (3) teaching student-athletes to plan, prioritize, communicate, and take responsibility for the balance in their DC endeavour; and (4) deeply rooted in a shared DC philosophy that puts sport first and recognizes that the student-athletes must be seen as whole persons. Conclusion: Researcher-practitioners in the DC context are encouraged to focus not only on the challenges and coping strategies of the individual student-athletes but to understand and (if necessary) optimize the entire environment around them. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 18. |
- Henriksen, Kristoffer, et al.
(author)
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Athlete mental health in the Olympic/Paralympic quadrennium : a multi-societal consensus statement
- 2020
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In: International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology. - 1612-197X. ; 18:3, s. 391-408
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This consensus statement is the product of the Second International Think Tank on Athlete Mental Health, held on the initiative of the International Society of Sport Psychology. The purposes of the Think Tank were to engage international sport psychology societies and organisations in a discussion about athlete mental health as embedded in an Olympic/Paralympic cycle, and to develop practical recommendations for sport organisations. An invited group of designated experts discussed applied experiences working with athletes within an Olympic and Paralympic environment. The Games and mental health are interrelated, because athletes committing whole-heartedly to an Olympic/Paralympic pursuit are at increased risk of disappointment, identity foreclosure, and high life stress. Dividing the quadrennial into three main phases (i.e., pre-, during-, and post-Games) participants discussed three topics for each phase: (1) the key opportunities and challenges; (2) the sport environment, and how it can nourish or malnourish athlete mental health; and (3) collaboration and communication within expert support teams. Each phase of the quadrennium presents specific challenges and opportunities, and mental health screening and support should be administered across all phases. However, the post-Games period is one of increased vulnerability, while at the same time, the returning staff is oftentimes exhausted and unavailable. Ideally, a specialised collaborative team should handle the post-Games mental health support. Initiatives are needed to (a) improve the psychological safety of pre-, during-, and post-Games high performance environments, (b) reduce unnecessary stress, (c) optimise recovery, (d) de-stigmatize mental health issues, and (e) increase help-seeking.
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| 19. |
- Henriksen, Kristoffer, et al.
(author)
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Athletic talent development environments : An explorative case study
- 2008
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In: Proceedings of the Nordic Conference "Health, Participation and Effects of Sport and Exercise". - Halmstad : Halmstad University.
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This paper presents a holistic description of the psychosocial competencies and environmental conditions associated with successful talent development. Research into talent development has evolved from talent detection to talent development, both perspectives accepting an athlete centered approach. Recent research into athletic career transitions emphasizes the importance of context but often refers to context in a micro perspective (sport, education and family). This study expands the notion of context and emphasizes the embeddedness of an athlete into his or her context. The research strategy is a multiple case study. The study takes a current perspective investigating three actual athletic talent development environments in Scandinavia renowned for successful talent development. The members of the environment are young prospect athletes on the verge of making a transition to high level elite sports. Through an explorative integrative approach, the study aims to develop and refine hypotheses on optimal talent development environments. Methods of data collection include interviewing of club administrators, coaches, young prospect athletes, established elite athletes and also observations of daily life. This paper presents results from the first case, a Danish elite sailing environment, and preliminary results from the second case study, a Swedish track and Field club. On a descriptive level, the structure of the environment is outlined, and the roles and functions of components and relations in the environment are clarified. On an explanatory level, factors (preconditions, process and group culture) underpinning environmental success are identified and structured.
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| 20. |
- Henriksen, Kristoffer, et al.
(author)
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Consensus statement on improving the mental health of high performance athletes
- 2020
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In: International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology. - New York : Taylor & Francis. - 1612-197X .- 1557-251X. ; 18:5, s. 553-560
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This consensus statement is the product of an international Think Tank on the initiative of the International Society of Sport Psychology. The purpose of the Think Tank was to unify major sport psychology organizations in a discussion of the current status and future challenges of applied and research aspects of athlete mental health. The contributors present six propositions and recommendations to inspire sport organizations and researchers. The propositions are: Mental health is a core component of a culture of excellence; Mental health in a sport context should be better defined; Research on mental health in sport should broaden the scope of assessment; Athlete mental health is a major resource for the whole athletic career and life post-athletic career; The environment can nourish or malnourish athlete mental health; and Mental health is everybody’s business but should be overseen by one or a few specified members. It is recommended that researchers unite to develop a more contextualized definition of athlete mental health and more comprehensive strategies of assessment, as well as join forces with sporting organizations to investigate sustainable elite sport environments and the role of the mental health officer. Sport organizations are advised to recognize athlete mental health as a core component of a healthy elite sport system and a key indicator of their effectiveness, support research initiatives, and to promote the mental health literacy of all their staff while engaging a mental health officer with the responsibility to oversee a support system. © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
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