Resilience is important in sport performers to withstand the pressure they experience. This study analyzed the relationship among resilient qualities and coping strategies in 235 Spanish athletes (126 males, 109 females; M age = 20.7 yr) who practiced different sports (79.1% team sports, 20.9% individual sports). They were evaluated at the beginning of the last competitive mesocycle and after an important competition. Coping strategies and level of resilient qualities were measured by the Coping Inventory for Competitive Sport and the Resilience Scale. There was no significant difference in resilience scores between evaluations performed during the last mesocycle or competition. A significant increase occurred in the scores for emotion-oriented and distraction-oriented coping during competition. Resilience scores correlated positively to task-oriented coping and negatively to disengagement- and distraction-oriented coping during both periods. Analysis of variance indicated that athletes with high individual resilient qualities reached higher scores in task-oriented coping, using to a lower extent disengagement- and distraction-oriented coping. Results obtained suggest that resilient characteristics may associate in athletes to the use of more potentially adaptative coping strategies.

The present investigation examined the validity and reliability of a questionnaire which assessed motives of Brazilian adults for participation in physical activities, compared motives for participation in walking and fitness programs, and examined differences by sex, age, and education. Participants were 100 men and 138 women, ages 16 to 60 years (M = 30.5, SD = 11.4). Factor analysis identified four factors which were fairly consistent with previous research. Improvement in physical appearance and enjoyment were rated significantly more important reasons for participants in fitness programs than for walkers. Men were more motivated by social experience than women. Young adults rated importance lower in health and fitness and rated enjoyment, social experience, and improvement in appearance of higher importance. Health and fitness were considered more important by participants with more education. These results are consistent with previous research on the factors underlying motives for regular exercise and support the importance of considering differences associated with culture.

This study was aimed at examining the psychometric properties of a Spanish version of the Recovery-Stress Questionnaire for Athletes (RESTQ-Sport; Kellmann & Kallus, 2000), and determining relationships between specific and overall dimensions of stress and recovery. A sample of Spanish athletes from various sports completed the instrument. Two factors were obtained in both the general (Sport Non-Specific Stress and Sport Non-Specific Recovery) and the specific module of the questionnaire (Sport Specific Stress and Sport Specific Recovery). A recursive model with a satisfactory fit, in which all factors would explain a total stress dimension, a total recovery dimension and a stress-recovery state, was developed. Results support the internal validity and reliability of the Spanish version of the RESTQ-Sport, and allow for the establishment of relationships among the various different constructs that form the basis of the questionnaire.