How to overcome trauma? Understanding emotional inducers in the life journey of and elite male para badminton player

Abstract

Problem Statement: Despite the desire of disability sport players to be treated equally, they often embody resilience in the face of life-altering trauma. However, the specific contextual factors that influence their emotional experiences remain poorly elucidated, hindering our understanding of their coping mechanisms. Approach: This study uses a novel situational approach to emotional labor, which emphasizes the role of contextual elements – referred to as “emotional inducers” – in shaping emotional experiences in the sports field. Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the emotional inducers contributing to both positive and negative emotions in an elite badminton player who sustained a skiing accident at the age of 26. Although he was left paraplegic by the accident, he experienced a “second life” in the sports field of elite para badminton. Results: based on a validated procedure of data collection and analysis, emotional inducers of the participant’ emotional experience have been highlighted and categorized throughout his life course, allowing to identify: (1) four categories of positive inducers (e.g. Attractiveness of badminton) and three categories of negative inducers (e.g., Compete with other elite players) during the first life period; four categories of positive inducers (e.g. Quick understanding of the accident consequences) and three categories of negative inducers (e.g., Atmosphere of hopital) during the participant’s interlife period; six categories of positive inducers (e.g. attractiveness of para badminton) and four categories of negative inducers (e.g., Learning of new physical possibilities) during the second life period. Discussion and conclusions: Highlighting the inducers of the participant’s emotional experience throughout his life course from in-depth method allow to feed three highlights associated to three major recommendations for sport psychology practice: (1) Use past positive emotional inducers to strengthen players’ resources; (2) Enable Players to Accept Negative Inducers; (3) Connect past and future inducers of positive experiences.