Develop an Individualized Mental Toughness Program for Hong Kong Non-Elite Shuttlecock Youth Athletes

This study aimed to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of the first Individualized mental toughness program on non-elite shuttlecock youth athletes in Hong Kong. The program sought to identify the individual differences and to examine whether the mental toughness program with increasing psychological resources and exposure to high levels of pressure, may lead to greater mental toughness. A total of 14 shuttlecock athletes, aged 16 - 23, and 1 head coach participated in a 14-week intervention that combined psychological skills with pressure training. A one-way repeated MANOVA (1 group x 2 time points) was applied to examine the changes between pre and post data, athletes and their head coach's data were analyzed separately. Results reported positive changes in mental toughness and performance-related variables among the participants. However, statistical significance was found only in three of the evaluated variables (detrimental mental toughness, passing errors, and mental toughness). This study provided a process of assessment, intervention, and evaluation for the individualized mental toughness program.