The thesis deals with structure and change of social support systems in professional alpine skiing. The family environment is of importance for top level performance. Positive seasonal variations in support were apparent with mothers and trainers; performance-dependent differences, however, were only evident for frequency of contact with members of the athletes’ social network. Regarding coping behaviour at career end, athletes with positive coping behaviour revealed better social resources. In turn, personal resources are associated with better coping behaviour. The results point to the necessity of athlete support well in advance of a given career end.
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The thesis deals with structure and change of social support systems in professional alpine skiing. The family environment is of importance for top level performance. Positive seasonal variations in support were apparent with mothers and trainers; performance-dependent differences, however, were only evident for frequency of contact with members of the athletes’ social network. Regarding coping behaviour at career end, athletes with positive coping behaviour revealed better social resources. In...
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