{"id":{"repo_id":"ottawa-retro","oai_identifier":"oai:ruor.uottawa.ca:10393/26141"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/ottawa-retro/oai:ruor.uottawa.ca:10393/26141","repository":{"repo_id":"ottawa-retro","name":"University of Ottawa","base_url":"https://ruor.uottawa.ca/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Exploring Elite Soccer Players&apos; Attentional Focus in Performance Tasks and Game Situations","abstract":"The purpose of this study was to investigate elite soccer players&apos; attentional focus during their best performances, better understand the strategies they use to enter or re-enter optimal attentional states, and explore potential attentional differences according to soccer positions, performance tasks, and game situations. No previous studies have explored elite soccer players&apos; attentional skills from a naturalistic and qualitative perspective in such detail. The growing interest in soccer among Canadians provided further justification for this study. Data collection consisted of individual semi-structured interviews with eight elite soccer players from five main soccer positions, namely goalkeeper, defender, wing, midfielder, and forward. Cross-case thematic analysis indicated positive thinking and pre-performance routines as important sources of optimal focus. Attentional focus varied according to soccer positions and performance tasks. Information processing, sport expertise, and attentional systems theoretical frameworks informed the discussion of results. Applied and theoretical implications were drawn and future studies were recommended.","abstract_html":"The purpose of this study was to investigate elite soccer players&amp;apos; attentional focus during their best performances, better understand the strategies they use to enter or re-enter optimal attentional states, and explore potential attentional differences according to soccer positions, performance tasks, and game situations. No previous studies have explored elite soccer players&amp;apos; attentional skills from a naturalistic and qualitative perspective in such detail. The growing interest in soccer among Canadians provided further justification for this study. Data collection consisted of individual semi-structured interviews with eight elite soccer players from five main soccer positions, namely goalkeeper, defender, wing, midfielder, and forward. Cross-case thematic analysis indicated positive thinking and pre-performance routines as important sources of optimal focus. Attentional focus varied according to soccer positions and performance tasks. Information processing, sport expertise, and attentional systems theoretical frameworks informed the discussion of results. Applied and theoretical implications were drawn and future studies were recommended.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Alves Ballón Tedesqui, Rafael"],"institution":"Université d&apos;Ottawa / University of Ottawa","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Terrance, Orlick"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013-09-18T19:51:32Z","date_published":"2013-09-18T19:51:32Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:39:34Z","subjects":["Soccer","Attentional focus","Elite athletes","Performance tasks"],"languages":["en"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["http://dx.doi.org/10.20381/ruor-3239"],"render_values":[{"text":"http://dx.doi.org/10.20381/ruor-3239","href":"http://dx.doi.org/10.20381/ruor-3239","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10393/26141","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Terrance, Orlick"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Alves Ballón Tedesqui, Rafael"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2013-09-18T19:51:32Z","2013"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Université d&apos;Ottawa / University of Ottawa"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Soccer","Attentional focus","Elite athletes","Performance tasks"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["en"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10393/26141","http://dx.doi.org/10.20381/ruor-3239"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["The purpose of this study was to investigate elite soccer players&apos; attentional focus during their best performances, better understand the strategies they use to enter or re-enter optimal attentional states, and explore potential attentional differences according to soccer positions, performance tasks, and game situations. No previous studies have explored elite soccer players&apos; attentional skills from a naturalistic and qualitative perspective in such detail. The growing interest in soccer among Canadians provided further justification for this study. Data collection consisted of individual semi-structured interviews with eight elite soccer players from five main soccer positions, namely goalkeeper, defender, wing, midfielder, and forward. Cross-case thematic analysis indicated positive thinking and pre-performance routines as important sources of optimal focus. Attentional focus varied according to soccer positions and performance tasks. Information processing, sport expertise, and attentional systems theoretical frameworks informed the discussion of results. Applied and theoretical implications were drawn and future studies were recommended."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Exploring Elite Soccer Players&apos; Attentional Focus in Performance Tasks and Game Situations"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Terrance, Orlick"],"dc:creator":["Alves Ballón Tedesqui, Rafael"],"dc:date":["2013-09-18T19:51:32Z","2013"],"dc:description":["The purpose of this study was to investigate elite soccer players&apos; attentional focus during their best performances, better understand the strategies they use to enter or re-enter optimal attentional states, and explore potential attentional differences according to soccer positions, performance tasks, and game situations. No previous studies have explored elite soccer players&apos; attentional skills from a naturalistic and qualitative perspective in such detail. The growing interest in soccer among Canadians provided further justification for this study. Data collection consisted of individual semi-structured interviews with eight elite soccer players from five main soccer positions, namely goalkeeper, defender, wing, midfielder, and forward. Cross-case thematic analysis indicated positive thinking and pre-performance routines as important sources of optimal focus. Attentional focus varied according to soccer positions and performance tasks. Information processing, sport expertise, and attentional systems theoretical frameworks informed the discussion of results. Applied and theoretical implications were drawn and future studies were recommended."],"dc:format":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier":["http://hdl.handle.net/10393/26141","http://dx.doi.org/10.20381/ruor-3239"],"dc:language":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Université d&apos;Ottawa / University of Ottawa"],"dc:subject":["Soccer","Attentional focus","Elite athletes","Performance tasks"],"dc:title":["Exploring Elite Soccer Players&apos; Attentional Focus in Performance Tasks and Game Situations"],"dc:type":["Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:39:34Z"}