ObjectivesAthletes and coaches rely on their performance support team to optimise training and competition. The specific characteristics of performance support teams that contribute to success in competition from the perspective of athletes and coaches have not been examined. Olympic gold medal winning athletes and coaches were asked about the characteristics they valued in the performance support team members who were with them at the Olympic Games. The insights shared provide important context to the role of the performance support team member, beyond technical skills, in the high-stress environment of elite sporting competition.MethodsConcept mapping was completed online to collect, analyse, and visually represent insights from 30 Olympic gold medal winning athletes and coaches. The concept mapping focus prompt used to generate insights from participants was ‘When I reflect on my gold medal winning performance, a characteristic that I really valued within my support team was….’. Athletes then brainstormed, sorted, and rated relevant statements.ResultsMultidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis produced an 8-cluster map – Way of Working, Communication Style, Emotional Management in Competition, Teamwork, Commitment to Athlete Preparation, Professionalism, Embracing the Experience, and Equality – as the best visual representation of the way participants sorted the 49 unique brainstormed statements.ConclusionsOlympic gold medal winning athletes and coaches prioritised ways of working, communication style, emotional management, and teamwork as the characteristics they valued most in their performance support team. These constructs, when further examined by item, encourage performance support staff to develop emotional management skills to (a) strengthen interpersonal relationships within the team, (b) enhance the working alliance with athletes and coaches, and (c) contribute to team performance overall. Concept mapping provided a structured way of collecting lived experience insights that may compliment other qualitative approaches such as structured interviews.

中文翻译：

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奥运会成功表演支持团队成员的特征

目标运动员和教练依靠他们的表现支持团队来优化训练和比赛。从运动员和教练的角度来看，有助于比赛成功的表现支持团队的具体特征尚未得到研究。奥运会金牌获得者和教练被问及他们所看重的与他们一起参加奥运会的表现支持团队成员的特征。分享的见解为表现支持团队成员在精英体育比赛的高压力环境中除技术技能之外的角色提供了重要的背景。方法概念图在线完成，以收集、分析和直观地呈现来自 30 枚奥运会金牌的见解获胜的运动员和教练。用于产生参与者见解的概念图焦点提示是“当我反思我赢得金牌的表现时，我在支持团队中真正重视的一个特征是……”。然后，运动员们集思广益，对相关陈述进行排序和评分。结果多维标度和层次聚类分析生成了 8 个聚类图——工作方式、沟通方式、比赛中的情绪管理、团队合作、对运动员准备的承诺、专业精神、拥抱经验和平等——作为参与者对 49 个独特的头脑风暴陈述进行分类的方式的最佳视觉表现。 结论 奥运会金牌获得者和教练将工作方式、沟通方式、情绪管理和团队合作视为他们在绩效支持团队中最看重的特征。当按项目进一步检查时，这些结构鼓励绩效支持人员发展情绪管理技能，以（a）加强团队内部的人际关系，（b）增强与运动员和教练的工作联盟，以及（c）为团队整体绩效做出贡献。概念图提供了一种收集生活经验见解的结构化方法，可以补充其他定性方法，例如结构化访谈。