Mobile Athlete Self-Report Measures and the Complexities of Implementation

• Main Author: Ciara M. Duignan, Patrick J. Slevin, Brian M. Caulfield, Catherine Blake
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of Uludag 2019-09-01
• Series: Journal of Sports Science and Medicine
• Subjects: Athlete monitoring; well-being; training load response; facilitators
• Online Access: https://www.jssm.org/hf.php?id=jssm-18-405.xml

Recent practice in athlete monitoring has seen the development and implementation of customized, digital Athlete Self-Report Measures or Mobile Athlete Self-Report Measures (M-ASRM) across various sport settings, including amateur sports such as Gaelic Games. Successful implementation of M-ASRM requires significant consideration of the use context and limitations therein, an investment of time and expertise by staff and buy-in from key stakeholders, yet there is limited evidence of these considerations being applied in practice. This study aimed to investigate stakeholder perceptions regarding the implementation processes and understanding of a pre-existing M-ASRM in elite Gaelic Games. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the use of a topic guide to explore the rationale, introduction and use of M-ASRM. Participants were 21 M-ASRM users in elite Gaelic Games (players n = 10, coaches and support staff n = 11), from 15 teams. Thematic analysis was conducted collaboratively by two authors, adopting an inductive approach and coding the transcripts using NVivo 12 software. Four higher-order themes were formed from the data: (1) clarity of purpose; (2) implementation strategies; (3) players perceptions of use and (4) perceived facilitators of M-ASRM use. The results of this study demonstrate a significant underestimation of the practical requirements for successful implementation of an M-ASRM by users in elite Gaelic Games. Recommendations are made for implementation and best practice use, including shared decision-making, evidence-based education strategies, structured feedback channels and improved planning with regards to feasibility and responsibility.