Athletes’ perception of stressors revealed in the interview
| Main category | Type of stressor | Illustrative quote of perceived stress |
|---|---|---|
| Physiological issues | Injuries | I have a fatigue fracture in my back. Last year I continued to train hard during a rapid growth period. I do not like to talk about injuries to my coach, I feel like I am faking it. |
| Exhaustion | I am sometimes so tired that my mom lets me sleep in and take the day off school. I might even take some days off from training. Sometimes when I am really exhausted—I just lie down and cry. | |
| Recovery | I am very good at resting—as soon as I am home, I go to bed and relax (sleep/TV etc). | |
| Logistical issues | Preparation of food | I usually prepare food for the next day before going out in the evening. |
| Parents as drivers | I can sleep a little longer than the others as my parents drive me to school. | |
| Schoolwork | My parents consider school as more important than sport, I prefer sport but of course I understand that school is important | |
| Other sports | It is hard to combine two sports; it could have worked if my coaches actually communicated about the logistical issues. | |
| Late training | Once a week I am home very late. | |
| Enough sleep | I need at least 8 hours sleep, I do not function without it, I am really good at resting, but I never get enough sleep. It is great that school starts late on Wednesday, I need that sleep. | |
| Team issues | Coach and injuries | You can easily see when the coach thinks you are whining or injured or thinks you should simply work through it. I wish I knew how to talk to him/her about difficult things. |
| Team–school relationship | The sport school programme and the opportunity we get here has helped me develop as a player. The school does a great job in adapting the workload for us, but the club coach is more sport focused. | |
| Social life limited to the club | It is hard to have time to have other friends that the ones in the club. |