SPORT CONSULTATION - AN EVALUATION OF A SEASON-LONG INTERVENTION WITHFEMALE COLLEGIATE GYMNASTS

Applied sport consultants continue to offer intervention programs to a thletes; however, research determining the efficacy of such programs h as been lacking. This paper (a) briefly describes a season-long, multi dimensional sport psychology intervention with a collegiate women's gy mnastics team, and (b) presents the results of the evaluation, examini ng the effectiveness of the program in reducing competitive state anxi ety and increasing team cohesion, the two areas of evaluative focus. R esults indicate that the intervention gymnasts had higher levels of so cial cohesion during the initial part of the competitive season than d id control gymnasts. In addition, the intervention gymnasts reported d ecreases in cognitive and somatic levels from the end of the preseason through the middle of the competitive season. Findings are presented in relation to qualitative feedback provided by the coaches and gymnas ts. Directions for future research and the intervention team's evaluat ion of the program also are discussed.