Seeking support and mental imagery can both be effective athlete coping strategies. Neither is universally superior: effectiveness depends on the stressor, the athlete's needs, the quality of implementation, and whether the strategy changes the problem or the athlete's emotional response.
In C.4.2 Coping, coping refers to cognitive and behavioural efforts used to manage demands that an individual appraises as stressful or beyond their available resources.
| Coping strategy | Mechanism | Most effective when |
|---|---|---|
| Seeking support | Emotional support provides reassurance and reduces isolation, while informational or instrumental support supplies advice, feedback, or practical assistance. | The support source is trusted, understands the athlete's situation, and offers appropriate help rather than increasing pressure. |
| Mental imagery | The athlete creates or recreates experiences mentally, using several senses. Imagining successful execution, calm responses, or recovery from errors can improve perceived control, confidence, concentration, and emotional regulation. | Imagery is vivid, controllable, specific to the task, practised regularly, and combined with physical preparation. |
For example, an injured athlete might seek emotional support from teammates and practical guidance from a physiotherapist. Before returning to competition, the athlete could imagine completing the movement correctly and responding calmly to discomfort. The strategies are therefore complementary: support provides external resources, while imagery develops internal regulation.
Their effectiveness is affected by individual differences, including imagery ability, personality, experience, cultural attitudes, and willingness to disclose concerns. Mental imagery may be ineffective if it is vague or repeatedly focuses on failure. Support may also be ineffective when advice is unwanted, inaccurate, or perceived as judgmental.
A common misconception is that coping always removes the stressor. Coping may instead change the athlete's appraisal, emotions, or behavioural response without eliminating the demand itself.
Exam technique: For an HL response using a command term such as evaluate, explain the mechanism of each strategy, give a sporting example, consider limitations and individual differences, and reach a balanced judgment about when each strategy is most effective.
