Journal of Volleyball Sciences
Online ISSN : 2433-7277
Print ISSN : 1344-9524
Original Article
Strategies of skill acquisition in elite volleyball players in qualitative investigation
Eiji WatanabeToshiro EndoHiroshi Matsui
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JOURNAL OPEN ACCESS

2009 Volume 11 Issue 1 Pages 1-6

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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine how elite volleyball players develop their psychological strategies of learning their skills. Two male and two female former elite volleyball players ranging in age from 35 to 51years old were purposefully selected to participate in this study. The criteria of participants had been “consistent” outstanding performers in volleyball over a number of years. All participants were invited to participate in a series of face-to-face interviews conducted by second author. The qualitative data were initially analyzed by the first author following the transcription of the interviews. The first author independently determined raw data units from participants’ words, phrases, quotes, and sayings and placed similar themes expressed by athletes into set of common topics. The second and third researcher carefully examined all procedures taken by the first researcher in analysis of interview data. The result of qualitative data revealed four major categories to explain how the elite volleyball players develop their psychological strategies for learning higher skills: (a) knowing own physical characteristics, (b) observation and ability to maximize resource, (c) optimal feedbacks, and (d) practice strategies. One major finding of the present study was that elite volleyball players perceived their innate physical characters and attempted to enhance their physical fitness. They believed that when they readied their physical fitness, they obtained exceptional skills. Therefore, they recognized the importance of repeated hard training to obtain skills. The present result related to the deliberated practice theoy in terms of learning hhigher skills among elite athletes. Also, many present findings are related the psychological characteristics of elite athlete. This notion implied that accepting the purpose of practices led to high intrinsic motivation and finally high skills.
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© 2009 Japanese Society of Volleyball Research
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