Cognitive appraisals of stressors encountered in sport organizations

This study investigated athletes' appraisals of organizational stressors. Four elite sport performers (two males and two females) completed Stress Appraisal Logs over a six-week competition period regarding the stressors they encountered within their sport organization. The participants predominantly appraised sources of organizational strain (i.e. organizational-related stressors) as threatening or harmful, with little perceived control, and few coping resources available. Appraisals were categorized under three dimensions: primary appraisals, secondary appraisals, and reappraisals. The findings provide a valuable insight into performers' cognitive appraisal of organizational-related stressors by highlighting that they reflect on the personal meaning and importance of demands, evaluate their resources to deal with the stressors, and employ reappraisals to subsequently revisit and re-evaluate situations in a more positive manner.