When COVID-19 Struck the World and Elite Sports: Psychological Challenges and Support Provision in Five Countries during the First Phase of the Pandemic

Abstract

The authors operated in professional roles related to preparations for Tokyo 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic changed the world. The purpose of this article is to share applied experiences and reflections from different parts of the world of psychological challenges and support strategies adopted in elite sports during the first phase of the pandemic (i.e., March to August 2020). Common themes included motivational issues, stress and anxiety, loss of routine, life-balance challenges among athletes, but also benefits of extended preparation time and recovery. Variations in support strategies and consequences from the effects of COVID-19 occurred across countries.

Keywords:

• Elite athlete
• Olympic Games
• Paralympic Games
• Sports psychology
• Tokyo 2020

During the final preparations for Tokyo 2020, the XXXII Olympic and XVI Paralympic Summer Games, the world and elite sports were changed substantially by a challenging situation; a global pandemic. Japan is the first and only hosting country that has experienced a postponement of the Olympic and Paralympic Games during a post-World War II period (International Olympic Committee (IOC), 2020). The postponement was a decision necessary to protect the health of the athletes and everyone involved. In the first phase of the pandemic, restrictions were imposed by countries at a national level to prevent the spreading of the virus. These restrictions greatly impacted all athletes, coaches, parents, team staff, and elite sports organizations. What was characterizing for the initial phase of the pandemic was (a) the search for solutions to the various strains put on elite athletes and those working with elite sports caused by COVID-19 restrictions and (b) strategies to enable a return to sport in a safe and organized manner despite the pandemic (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, 2020). However, experiences, strategies and resources to deal with a global pandemic and the postponement of the Olympic and Paralympic Games were severely lacking and rapidly needed (e.g., Schinke et al., 2020; Stambulova et al., 2020).

The purpose of the present article is to share applied experiences and personal reflections from different parts of the world of the psychological challenges and support strategies adopted in elite sports during the first phase of the pandemic (March–August 2020). The five authors were all operating in various professional roles related to preparations for Tokyo 2020 (i.e., working as an athlete well-being researcher and as the head of the International Strategy Division for the for the Japan High Performance Sport Center (JHPSC) in the host country of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and Paralympics, being an elite athlete preparing for the Games, and working as sport psychology consultants for Olympic sports).

Yoriko Noguchi (well-being researcher), Japan High Performance Sport Center: experiences from the host-country

The first positive COVID-19 case occurred in Japan on January 16, 2020. The Prime Minister declared a state of emergency for seven prefectures, including Tokyo, on April 7. During this period, it was requested that people stay at home. A survey conducted by the Japan Sport Council (JSC) showed that 98% (n = 210) of local authorities reported an impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sport-related programs (i.e., sports events, competitions, exchanges), and 95% (n = 204) indicated public sports facilities were closed (JSC, 2020). The Japan High Performance Sport Center (JHPSC), which includes the Japan Institute of Sports Sciences (JISS), National Training Center (West and East NTC), was closed between April 8 and May 26. 40 of the 41 medals won by Japan at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games were sports based in the JHPSC. The closure of the JHPSC, and other facilities in Japan, resulted in large numbers of elite athletes facing limited training opportunities. For example, the Japan Olympic Committee (JOC) revealed that approximately 70% of the 995 summer and winter athletes indicated their training was greatly limited, and about 75% indicated training facility closure as the reason for the limitation (JOC coach meeting, personal communication, October 23, 2020). To support athletes, coaches, and the National Sports Federations during this period of quarantine, the JHPSC (a) launched a one-stop online site for COVID-19 related information, particularly focused on sports science, medicine, and psychology, and (b), developed a guideline for high-performance sports focused on prevention of injury when returning to sports (JHPSC, 2020). In particular, the sport psychology experts of the JISS/JHPSC focused on various tips for adding value to home-training (e.g., re-creating psychological intensity in training, application of random training, recovery), detailed instruction of mental skills training (e.g., relaxation, goal-setting, imagery, dealing with anxiety in applied format), and mental health (e.g., instruction about tools to deal with emotion, depression, and anxiety).

During the State of Emergency, the sport psychology experts from various organizations, such as the JISS, the JOC, universities, and the Japanese Society of Sport Psychology (JSSP), worked closely together. Information was shared, consultation services set up, and investigations conducted. For example, the JOC set up one virtual window for athletes to make inquiries and the JISS corresponded and/or provided consultation if a psychological issue arose in relation to Tokyo 2020.

To provide evidence-based support for athletes preparing for Tokyo 2020, the JISS looked to implement learnings from psychological processes of Japanese athletes before and during successful performances previously investigated (Sasaki et al., 2019). Sasaki et al. (2019) proposed the necessity of strategies to manage the media, large spectator crowds and to cope with pressure when representing the nation. Psychological skills focused on performance was also identified in aiding successful performance.

However, the postponement of the Olympic Games, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, imposed new concerns regarding the psychological state of athletes. Concerns related to how motivation, mental health, and well-being could be maintained (Schinke et al., 2020). Especially when confronting barriers of lacking accessibility to training, suspended competitions, and uncertainty overall. The JOC (JOC coach meeting, personal communication, October 23, 2020) concluded that, although the postponement of events and quarantine became a huge stressor, most athletes maintained their mental health due to their high ability in coping. However, approximately 10% of athletes in summer sports, particularly in combat and time-based sports (e.g., cycling, swimming) had indications of depression and/or anxiety requiring professional support (JOC coach meeting, personal communication, October 23, 2020).

Other learnings sport psychology experts in Japan were able to implement came from experiences and knowledge gained from the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. As such, sport psychology experts in Japan were able to respond quickly to the COVID-19 pandemic situation. Support included psychological first aid for stress management and information sharing about how to behave and respond in crises situations. One of the challenges faced in supporting elite athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic was a lack of specific evidence related to the management of motivation, mental health and athlete well-being in a high-performance sport context in Japanese sport. Therefore, the JHPSC has now started research focused on athlete well-being to be better able to provide evidence-based support services.

Hannah Macdougall (paralympic athlete, Australia): preparing for Tokyo 2020

In March 2020, non-essential services ceased in Australia, including elite sports (The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), 2020). Australia has a strong sporting culture of more than 11.4 million adults and children participating in sports annually (The Boston Consulting Group, 2017). The measures adopted by the government to mitigate and prevent the spread of the coronavirus significantly impacted Australian athletes. As a result, varied responses, challenges, and strategies were experienced and adopted.

It needs to be recognized that the effects of context-specific regulations related to the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with existing societal infrastructures and systems, significantly varied dependent upon age, disability, profession, and type of sport. All sports were impacted and face-to-face competition halted. Elite athletes had their careers put on hold. Routines went into disarray. And like everyone else, athletes were forced to distance themselves physically from their support systems. However, for an elite athlete, the necessity of face-to-face support systems, such as hands-on physiotherapy treatment, may be higher than that of the general population. This is because an athlete’s body is their mechanism for achieving the requirements to receive funding and fulfill contractual obligations, and is thus linked to their financial well-being. From a psychological perspective, the pandemic brought additional potential impacts to elite athletes’ well-being. For example, athletes’ abilities to maintain a sense of identity, routine, autonomy, competence, relatedness, and meaning, were all limited.

The effects of regulations for athletes in indoor, contact, water, and team sports were worse than those for athletes in sports such as cycling or running. Athletes in sports such as cycling or running, although possibly restricted by distance to their homes, could still train in their sport. Some athletes were even able to keep racing on virtual platforms against people from all around the world. Indeed, "E-racing" may have helped some athletes to maintain a sense of sport satisfaction, positive relationships with other athletes, purpose in sport, and personal growth through various achievements.

For elite athletes in Paralympic sports, stress and anxiety were potentially increased in the presence of health conditions associated with respiratory and immune system function (Hull et al., 2020). However, the International Paralympic Committee (2020) medical committee indicated there had been no evidence that athletes with a disability, in general, had a higher risk of contracting COVID-19. What was discouraging was the deepening of inequalities for athletes in para sports during the course of the pandemic. Specifically, participation in disability-specific sporting and recreational activities was limited, and people with a disability were particularly disadvantaged (United Nations, 2020).

All athletes, regardless of ability, are not a homogenous group. A "one-size-fits-all" approach, especially concerning a return sport, was not appropriate. Australia developed a framework for rebooting sport in a COVID-19 environment (AIS, 2020). The framework was a tool of "how" to reintroduce sporting activities aligned with the ethics of preserving public health and minimizing the risk of community transmission. Other initiatives stimulated by the pandemic included Paralympic CONNECT—a web-based remote coaching platform by Paralympics Australia (PA)—and an increased focus on athlete well-being. Increased resources saw heightened access to PA Athlete Welfare Engagement officers and partnerships with mental health organizations and networks. Examples of adaptability and resiliency were also observed. Specifically, digital platforms enabled teams scattered across the country to come together to discuss vulnerabilities, practice mindfulness, and identify strengths.

The ongoing uncertainty associated with the COVID-19 pandemic saw athletes struggle and look on in frustration as competitors continued to train and compete across the world. Even so, athletes continued to use their strengths of resiliency and innovation to tap into the strong sporting culture in Australia to do what they do best—train and perform.

Experiences from sport psychology consultants in France, Sweden, and Canada

Anaëlle Malherbe (National Institute of Sport, Expertise, and Performance, France)

France went into lockdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 17, 2020. The National Institute of Sport, Expertise, and Performance (INSEP) of the Olympic Training Center closed on March 20, 2020 by the direction of the Ministry of Sports. About 800 athletes were, at that time, training at the INSEP, with approximately 530 accommodated on campus. All athletes and staff had to pack up belongings and rush home. Many staff members worked from home for roughly two to three months, and some staff members were furloughed. During the lockdown period, people in France were allowed to leave their homes for valid reasons only (e.g., to visit a relative in need of assistance or to shop for necessities), and the wearing of masks became compulsory in public spaces after a few weeks. Most non-essential shops were closed as well as all sports clubs.

The training opportunities for athletes varied during the lockdown period, dependent on the amount of contact they had with their coaches and their living conditions. In some teams, the coaches organized daily training sessions via digital tools to maintain athlete motivation. In other teams, the athletes had little contact with their coaches. Increased feelings of being let down were observed and some athletes questioned coach relationships and trust. Living conditions varied across athletes; some athletes could train as much as they wanted in optimal conditions, whereas others were stuck in small studio flats with no possibility of training.

Some athletes and coaches fell ill with COVID-19 and experienced stress from the symptoms and anxiety from being alone during this crisis. Psychological support was provided in these situations via the telephone. Discussions focused on what was controllable under the circumstances and staying in contact with the external world. Another challenge was dealing with the grief of dying relatives, especially when there was no possibility to be physically present to say farewell to a loved one; therapy to avoid pathological grief was provided. A significant challenge was the postponement of the Olympic Games. For some athletes, the postponement was beneficial because they gained one more year to prepare and/or recover from injuries. Other athletes who had planned to retire after the 2020 Olympics, to have a baby, or pick up studies, were imposed with questions related to work-life balance. Psychological support provided during this period related to training coaches on particular topics. Topics included motivation, goal setting, designing mental training strategies for the upcoming season, finding balance when lacking a proper training routine, rebalancing life pillars, and reshaping athletes’ identity outside of the sports context. For one team, an interview guide was developed to support the coaches to identify the team’s available resources, the presence of challenges or obstacles, and motivational triggers. To support the coaches’ autonomy, the sport psychologist consultant trained the coaches on how to interview their athletes. The coaches and the sports psychology consultant analyzed the information obtained from the interview together. The information from the interview helped the coaches to individualize training based on athletes’ personal needs and to create plans for the upcoming months. In some instances, novel competition-like situations could also be created (e.g., competition by use of mental or technical skills).

Support provision during this period was primarily provided by use of digital tools and telephone. The shift to start using these tools was relatively easy and confirmed that support provision needs to be adjusted to the specific needs and situation of the client. For example, when providing support for physical distancing, it was necessary to include additional breathing exercises, mental imagery, meditation, and psychosomatic techniques to help athletes deal with emotions, concentration, bodily sensations, and technical skill development. For some athletes, the lack of physical presence of the sport psychologist was anxiety inducing. For others, the change resulted in interesting and deeper mental skills work and the possibility to try out new psychophysical exercises (e.g., mindfulness, yoga, relaxation, hypnosis to cope with pain).

To prepare for the athletes’ return to INSEP, all athletes responded to a survey, which included, for example, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Sport Motivation Scale. An aim was to identify anxiety or stress levels related to return to training and competition, athletes’ impulsiveness, and intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. The results of the survey showed the majority of athletes reported a high level of motivation for continued training and competition. As such, athletes were offered prevention strategies to maintain their well-being (e.g., psychological support, relaxation, meditation exercises). Coaches were also supported in how to adapt training and communicate with their athletes. Those athletes identified with increased anxiety levels or other concerns, for example, doubts about getting back to an elite level or returning to competition, were followed up with individualized support. Feedback was also provided to the coaches regarding their athletes’ emotional states, thus enabling support for a return to training.

Carolina Lundqvist (The Swedish Olympic Committee, Sweden)

The first confirmed case of COVID-19 noted in Sweden was in January 2020, and in March, the spread of the virus worsened. Sweden, unlike other countries, did not go into lockdown. For example, shops, training facilities, and restaurants were kept open, children in primary schools continued to go to school as usual, while high schools and universities changed to distance education using digital tools. The Public Health Agency of Sweden introduced recommendations and rules that people in Sweden were reminded daily to follow (e.g., keep physical distancing and avoid crowding, wash your hands, work from home if possible, stay at home at the slightest symptom of illness, and avoid unnecessary travel). Public events and gatherings of 50 people or more were banned (see also Weman Josefsson, 2021).

Some Swedish athletes were abroad, for example at training camps, when host countries went into lockdown. These athletes needed to quickly travel back to Sweden to avoid getting stuck abroad. In Sweden, gyms and training facilities were still open, which likely helped athletes to maintain motivation and decreased the risk of aversive mood states (e.g., depressive conditions). Athletes, coaches, and others involved in elite sports, just like the general population, needed to follow the recommendations of The Public Health Agency but they could meet face-to-face and by use of digital tools. In a survey conducted in April by the Swedish Olympic Committee (SOC, 2020) on 111 athletes in the SOC support program, results indicated that most athletes had been able to continue their training with or without some minor adjustments to their training plan. A total of 16% responded that training had been more severely affected, and 3% responded they could not train at all. The survey also indicated that the athletes, overall, seemed to manage the pandemic well from a health perspective (SOC, 2020).

Psychological support was performed using digital tools, to a large extent, to prevent the increased spread of infection. During sport psychology consultations with elite athletes from a variety of sports, four main themes of psychological challenges were frequently described by athletes: (a) motivational and lowered mood among athletes who had planned to end their elite sports career, or to take some time off after the Olympics to recover and explore activities outside their sport; (b) coping with uncertainties (e.g., if and when the Olympics would move ahead, and when competitions would resume); (c) adjusting to having more leisure time and a less regimented training schedule because of canceled travel, training camps, and competitions; and (d) anxiety and psychological reactions related to suffering from personal COVID-19 symptoms or worry about relatives who belonged to at-risk groups.

Psychological support was tailored to the needs of each athlete by use of evidence-based approaches from sports psychology and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Common strategies used, for example, were to help athletes increase their problem-solving skills and provide proactive support (e.g., behavioral activation; cf. Lundqvist, 2020) to create meaning and functionality within daily routines. Many athletes also needed support for dealing with uncertainty (e.g., accepting and/or reframing the situation, focusing on what is possible to do/controllable behaviors). Support was also provided in replanning and/or rethinking goals for sport and life, and general psychological support for various issues as they arose. Nevertheless, individual reactions among athletes varied greatly. Although some athletes struggled during this period, several also perceived benefits to include more time for preparations and recovery, spending time with relatives, and time for reflection about what was essential to invest in their elite sports careers and life outside of sport.

Fabien Abejean (Canadian National and Olympic Training Centers)

The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Canada came at the end of January, 2020. National sports institutes and training centers were closed seven weeks later. Two things particularly impacted athletes: the postponement of the Olympic Games and banned gatherings. Athletes’ lives were turned upside-down, training plans needed modification, and choices between recovery or continued training were made. Individual reactions varied across athletes, but some interrelated psychological objectives were quickly identified as critical—well-being, life balance, and maintaining appropriate levels of motivation to optimize performance.

In March 2020, the life balance, well-being, and routines of athletes were upheaved. Athletes had more spare time, less social contact, and fewer choices. Sport psychologists performed thrice weekly monitoring of, for example, stress levels, sleep, mood, energy, and motivation. General recovery was assessed every fourth week by using the REST-Q Sport Questionnaire with regular feedback provided to coaches and athletes.

The first psychological support action was to create a psychologically safe environment where athletes, coaches, and staff could express their experiences. Holding individual, small groups, or team meetings uncovered essential elements to focus on and monitor in various sports and contexts. Athletes, coaches and staff attended workshops on harmonious passion, mindfulness, or respect for personal, fundamental needs, organized by sport psychology consultants. The Canadian Olympic Committee also supported athletes, staff, and coaches with inspiring speeches. Some athletes realized they had previously forgotten to reflect on themselves as a person or why they played their sport.

At the end of March–April, the uncertainty of when sports facilities would reopen and competitions could restart created motivational issues for some athletes. It was critical to stimulate athletes’ desire for continuous improvement when training at home. The main concern during isolation was that athletes would not be able to maintain an appropriate level of self-determination by satisfying the basic needs (i.e., autonomy, belonging, competence). Sports psychologists collaborated with coaches to create daily, weekly, and monthly challenging goals. Weekly coach-athletes meetings stimulated reflection, where coaches let athletes propose options on how to train, thus ensuring involvement in the training process. Various applications, for example, that tracked daily habits, were used to monitor personal and group performances and analyze progression. In parallel, athletes completed the Athlete Received Support Questionnaire (ARSQ) to let staff and coaches know how to support them in demanding times. Potentially, as a result, there was a positive impact on group task cohesion.

Despite the constraint of the isolation and lack of training facilities, this period was an opportunity to explore, develop, and educate athletes, staff, and coaches, and to nurture performance and development. Athletes had time to complete questionnaires targeting the mental work needed. Some athletes explored multiple video protocols using modeling and imagery for skill acquisition or used video occlusion at different speeds to develop anticipation and decision-making skills. Other athletes explored various attentional processes involved in training and worked on developing cognitive flexibility to manage the perception of pain or effort. Several athletes spent time on improving their aerobic training (e.g., biking, running) and used meditation applications to practice mindfulness. When this period was followed up and athletes completed a survey, several athletes indicated that they had increased their understanding of how they could satisfy their basic needs to perform and improve their life balance.

General discussion and lessons learned

The unprecedented postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games has seen enormous changes for all involved in elite sports. Countries have had various approaches to restrictions, lockdowns, and/or advice provided by government and health authorities. As such, the practical obstacles for elite athletes varied across countries. Common psychological challenges that were noted during this period among elite athletes, summarized in Table 1, included many unknowns around training, competition, and whether or not Tokyo 2020 would proceed. The situation resulted in motivational problems, experiences with stress and anxiety, loss of routines, and required heightened psychological support. Nevertheless, some athletes and coaches viewed this period as an opportunity to recover, refocus on oneself and reconsider sport and life. Thus, in critical situations that significantly affect the planning, circumstances, and plausible path choices related to the elite sports career, huge interindividual psychological reactions are likely to emerge among athletes.

Table 1. Summary of challenges and support strategies.

Themes	High performance center (Japan)	Elite athlete (Australia)	Sport psychology consultants
			France	Sweden	Canada
Training environment
Training facilities	Closed	Closed	Closed	Open	Closed
Common psychological challenges and benefits among elite athletes
Challenges	Motivation Well-being Stress/anxiety/ depression	Motivation Well-being Stress/anxiety	Motivation Stress/anxiety	Motivation Uncertainty/anxiety Adjustment to a less strict training schedule	Motivation Well-being Life-balance and daily routines
Benefits and strengths	Collaboration and communication between organizations	Resilience Adaptability Innovation	Preparation & recovery	Preparation & recovery, self-reflection, time with family	Preparation & recovery Cognitive flexibility
General psychological support strategies
Support provision	JHPSC guidelines for return to sports Psychological support by psychological experts (JISS)	AIS Framework to reboot sport in a COVID-19 environment	Coach education on mental skills; mental training strategies; mindfulness, hypnosis, routines & life-sport balance	CBT; problem solving, behavioral activation, acceptance, mindfulness, reframing, controllable behaviors, replanning sport & life	Mindfulness, harmonious passion, basic needs, goal setting, virtual competition, meditation apps)
Use of online resources/digital tools	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Notes. OG, Olympic Games; CBT, cognitive behavioral therapy.

The pandemic also imposed professional and personal challenges for sports psychology consultants working with elite athletes and coaches. Support suddenly had to be reorganized from Olympic Games preparations to helping athletes and coaches adjust and cope with a completely new situation affecting both sport and life. Because of the novel and unforeseen situation, the workload was high during this period. The need to ensure safety, by not becoming infected yourself or infecting others with the COVID-19 virus, became highly evident and put practical limitations on psychological support provision. Making risk-benefit assessments to avoid personal infection was important for two main reasons: protection of personal health and to ensure that ongoing support for athletes and coaches could be provided.

It is important to remember that despite working in a professional role, sport psychology consultants are, in similarity with elite athletes and coaches, human themselves. Thus, sport psychology consultants are not immune to stressors, uncertainty and psychological reactions that pandemic restrictions or life issues may evoke in times of global crisis. Working in a supporting role could, on the contrary, induce an extra challenging situation in terms of offering professional support to others while at the same time managing any personal adjustments to the situation that may be needed. Thus, self-knowledge of strengths and limitations, both professionally and personally, as well as proper skills in self-care and access to supportive networks, were highly beneficial.

Several lessons learned from the first phase of the pandemic were:

• Elite athletes are not immune to effects on mental health created through crises, such as pandemics. Preventive psychosocial support helping athletes to cope with crises may be beneficial to reduce the risk of adverse mental health consequences.

• Psychological support systems around elite athletes should include support staff who are educated in, and professionally qualified to work with, a great diversity of needs related to the elite sports performance and mental health issues that can quickly arise in unforeseen situations.

• Innovation and digital technology (i.e., apps, online sessions) provide opportunities for elite athletes and support staff to stay connected, arrange training, learn new skills, and receive psychological support.

• It is crucial to harness elite athletes’ inherent strengths and foster resiliency by providing support and psychological skills to help athletes adapt to, and perhaps also grow from, the experience.

• Psychological challenges among elite athletes were overall similar for the different countries. The need for the invention of support strategies was noted worldwide during this first phase of the pandemic. Sport psychology practitioners should collaborate to share knowledge and experiences across nations in times of sudden global crises.

• Support providers (e.g., sport psychology consultants) should be skilled in how to apply self-care to protect the own well-being. Especially in crises, there may be limited support available to support the support provider.

The article has described applied experiences from different parts of the world obtained by professionals who operated in various elite sports settings during the pandemic. As such, the information is limited to the authors’ personal reflections and information available at the time. Readers should consider that other professionals, athletes, or coaches may have experienced alternative challenges or interpreted the pandemic situation differently. In summary, facing a pandemic during the final preparations for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and Paralympics entailed many challenges for those in elite sports. However, the situation also forced the creation of novel working methods and digital solutions that likely will endure beyond post-COVID-19 times. The COVID-19 situation may also be a timely reminder of the essence of Olympism and ethos found within the Paralympic movements: the elevation of mind and soul, overcoming differences between nationalities and cultures while embracing friendship, a sense of solidarity, and fair play, to contribute to world peace, betterment, and coming together (IOC, 2016).