ABSTRACT
For some top performers, taking part in and having pleasure from sport is a major source of satisfaction. For example, Evonne Goolagong, the former Australian tennis player and Wimbledon winner enthused about the joy of playing (Goolagong, Collins, & Edwards, 1975, p.33):
Some players feel that winning is everything, and losing a disaster. Not me. I want the spectators to take home a good memory. If I'd lost my 1972 Wimbledon semi-final to Chris Evert in three sets instead of winning in three, I'd have been disappointed. But not displeased or angry. Because of the occasion, the tension, the fight we both displayed, and our shot-making, it will rank as one of the memorable matches. I was told that it was an emotionally draining experience for the viewers. Above all: An experience. Playing a part in a gripping sporting drama is all I ask.
