Athlete perceptions of the impacts of performance profiling

The present research examined athlete perceptions of the usefulness and impacts of producing individual performance profiles within a group setting. In study 1, eight randomly chosen rugby union players who had participated in a performance profiling session were interviewed to gain their perceptions of the strategy. The interview content analysis findings were then combined with a review of the profiling literature to produce a closed questionnaire for study 2. In this study, 10 sport teams each participated in a single performance profiling session. At the end of their session, athletes (n = 191) completed the questionnaire to determine their perceptions of performance profiling. Athletes believed profiling could be useful in: (1) raising their self-awareness; (2) helping them decide what they need to work on; (3) motivating them to improve; (4) setting goals for themselves; (5) monitoring and evaluating their performance; and (6) taking more responsibility for their development.