ABSTRACT
The pressures faced by athletes who compete in sport around the world are extensive and can originate from a variety of sources (see, e.g., Arnold & Fletcher, 2012; Gould, Jackson, & Finch, 1993; Mellalieu, Neil, Hanton, & Fletcher, 2009; Scanlan, Stein, & Ravizza, 1991; Thelwell, Weston, & Greenlees, 2007). These stressors may be associated with an athlete’s competitive performance, organizational environment, or personal “non-sporting” life events (Fletcher, Hanton, & Mellalieu, 2006; see also Sarkar & Fletcher, 2014). It is common for researchers as well as coaches, performance directors, and sport organizations to delineate between athletes and teams who thrive under pressure and achieve peak performances and those who yield to pressure and underperform. These differences are often attributed to the concept of resilience with some researchers indicating that resilience is a prerequisite for sporting success (Holt & Dunn, 2004; Mills, Butt, Maynard, & Harwood, 2012; Van Yperen, 2009).
