Towards an Understanding of Mental Toughness in Australian Football

Abstract

A personal construct psychology (PCP; Kelly, 1955/1991) framework was employed in an attempt to reveal a holistic understanding of mental toughness in the context of Australian Football. Eleven male coaches (M age = 42, SD = 9.62) with considerable playing and coaching experience at the elite level were interviewed using a PCP-based interview protocol. Transcribed verbatim data were analyzed using grounded theory procedures. Three independent categories (characteristics, situations, behaviors) were inductively derived and integrated into a model in which the importance of understanding each component individually was emphasized. The relationship between these three central categories was also highlighted. Results identified the key mental characteristics and their contrasts together with those situations that demand mental toughness, and the behaviors commonly displayed by mentally tough footballers. Conceptualized in the context of these three categories, mental toughness in Australian Football can be considered as a buffer against adversity but also as a collection of enabling factors that promote and maintain adaptation to other challenging situations. Practical implications of the findings are discussed and focus on issues pertaining to enhancing and/or developing mental toughness.

Appreciation is extended to Peter Clarke (Strathclyde University) for his constructive comments relating to personal construct psychology; Darren Harris, Steve Hargrave, Luke Rayner (Western Australian Football Commission), and Tim Chambers (School of Sport Science, Exercise & Health, UWA) for their assistance with participant recruitment and data analysis; the Associate Editor and two anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments on an earlier version of this manuscript; and to all those individuals who freely gave their time for this study.

Notes

Each football season comprises 22 games. The average number of AFL games played in a football career is 43 and only 14.8% and 6.8% out of the total number that have played AFL have played over 100 and 150 games, respectively (AFLPA, 2005), which places the current sample within a select group of footballers. In addition to this extensive playing experience, each individual had the highest level (i.e., Level 3) coaching accreditation under the AFL coaching accreditation scheme and several years of coaching experience.