Elite level archery athletes perceptions towards mental training practices: A case study

The purpose of this study is to describe the perceptions and related opinions of elite archery athletes toward mental training practices from the athletes' perspective. To this end; it is aimed to examine the perceptions of elite archery athletes towards mental training practices. This study is a qualitative study and was planned as a phenomenology study, one of the qualitative research methods. Data were collected through individual interviews and all analyses were separated by qualitative data extraction methods. 11 archery athletes at TOHM participated in the research. At the same time, 6 of the participants were female and 5 were male archery athletes. An interview form developed by the researcher and composed of semi-structured questions was used in the study. This form has 2 sections and 13 questions in total. According to the findings of the study; The mental training perceptions of archery athletes are shaped by dimensions such as positive thinking, stress management, visualization, and self-talk. These elements help athletes increase their performance and build a healthier structure in their minds. In this context, the findings of the research emphasize the importance of mental training and shed light on the strategies archers need to improve these skills. As a result, it is seen that mental training in Archery plays an important role in improving the performance of athletes and coping with stress. Research on this subject reveals in detail how various mental techniques are used by athletes and the positive effects of these techniques on performance. It is thought that athletes' regular use of these techniques can significantly improve both their training and competition performances.