Challenge and Threat States in Athletes

This chapter explores the four foundational theoretical building blocks for the Performance space Model. Pivotal to the model is Jones et al.’s Theory of Challenge and Threat States in Athletes and its revised conceptualisation. Upstream building blocks can be found in Corr’s Revised Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory and Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory. Downstream is Marcora’s Psychobiological Model of Endurance, which serves to operationalise the model. Performance states can be both facilitative and debilitative. The detailed physiological shifts which accompany whether an athlete views an event positively as a challenge or negatively as a threat have major consequences for the ensuing performance. These are clarified, and the applied implications are explained. The chapter introduces field-based tools coaches can use in applying challenge and threat state thinking to everyday communication. Centred open aware connected and holding and contracted, reactive, analytical, separated and hostile states exemplify the practical aspects of identifying each state (e.g. behavioural activation system versus fight, flight and freeze), the continuum that exists between them and how to self-calibrate in the moment. There is a five-step process to begin to move from crash to coach state so that you are ‘ready for anything’. The chapter finishes with key principles for moving athletes from threat state to challenge state through self-efficacy, approach goals and perception of control.