Boost Communication on Mental Self-Reflection in KNSB Talent Teams

Abstract

The aim of this Master’s thesis is to determine how user engagement and motivation can be improved when using the Athlete Management System (AMS) as a monitoring system. This system monitors athletes subjectively and objectively for short and long-term progress. Increased use of this monitoring system will result in a more complete and valuable data set for coaches to identify the risks of under- or overtraining for KNSB talented athletes in both long and shorttrack disciplines.

Several interviews were conducted with athletes, experts from the KNSB Talent Teams (KTTs), and other experts in the field of AMS, sports psychology,
and sports innovation centers. These interviews were used to explore how the target group reflected on their sports’ progression and how the feedback process from the KTT staff played a role in this, supported by a literature review of related topics in the context of the project aim.

After interviews with athletes, coaches, and embedded scientists, potential design directions were identified and one was selected by evaluating the directions for feasibility and impact concerning the project aim. The chosen design opportunity is to improve communication about AMS between athletes and their coaches and to provide more guidance in an athlete’s reflective process when they need to measure their recovery-stress state of ‘Mental Readiness’ in AMS, which can be described as the athlete’s ability to concentrate on the execution of a training session. Measuring the recovery-stress state of an athlete can help identify the risk of under- or overtraining. Athletes and coaches experience difficulties interpreting and assessing ‘Mental Readiness’.

Brainstorming and concept validation sessions are conducted to develop a final design: a workshop session consisting of a presentation with three assignments to allow athletes and their coach to share their interpretations of the ‘Mental Readiness’ scale and to give first steps of guidance on how to reflect as an athlete on this scale. The final design is an addition to the kick-off meeting at the beginning of the speed skating season. It also proposes a roadmap for the long-term implementation of the final design in the context of the target group, including additional suggestions for other workshops and presentations to improve communication and behavior around AMS based on the insights from the interviews.

Further research should investigate how the final design leads to behavioral changes in user engagement and motivation in long-term implementation.
In addition, other aspects of the recovery-stress state, such as ‘emotional state’ and ‘motivation’, could be explored to broaden the communication and enhance the self-reflection of the athlete. In future research, it is important to expand guidance for athletes in their reflective capacity and for KTT staff in the correct interpretation and next steps when receiving ‘Mental Readiness’ data. This will help to motivate athletes to work with the final design and increase user engagement with the Athlete Management System.