A Phenomenological Study: The Effects of Mental Toughness on Return to Competition Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries in Female Athletes

The objectives for this presentation are to:

help coaches understand that mental toughness (MT) is not a static trait, but that it can and does change throughout a person's life according to circumstances. The different aspects of MT including will be discussed according to the theoretical framework for the study. discuss the results of how coaches impact the constructs of MT, especially confidence, control, and commitment. show how athlete identity was discovered to change throughout the anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction journey and how this can be used to identify athletes who may be struggling. diffuse the knowledge of best practices in how to help athletes develop MT according to those participants who showed the highest levels of MT from the study. show how this information could be explored for both genders as well as to other catastrophic injuries increasing likelihood of players returning to sport following injuries.