**2.2 Engagement and sports**

Engagement or flow is the process of being fully engulfed by the activity. It is described as a state of optimal experience [11]. Athletes commonly find themselves deeply engaged in their sport to the extent that nothing beyond the moment matters. Engagement in sports is often described as "being in the zone." Engagement occurs when the following characteristics are met [1]:


An athlete must find harmony between their challenge and skills if they want to be engaged. The sport needs to be highly challenging, yet the athlete must have the skills to match. The challenge should be slightly more difficult than what they are used to accomplishing. If the challenge is too far beyond their current skills, the athlete will feel anxious and stressed. If this occurs, the athlete must increase their skill or participate against a lower-level challenge until they reach the skill level appropriate to achieve flow at a higher level [1].

When athletes achieve this optimal state of engagement, they are in a state of mindfulness, when the only thing that matters is the moment and time ceases to exist. On top of scientific literature backing up the benefit of engagement and performance or well-being, philosophical schools of thought such as Buddhism and Stoicism support an idea of living in the moment as a corner stone of living "a good life" or a life worth living. The philosophy of yoga has a saying that the only sin is boredom, because we are not living in order with the universe. In other words, when we are engaged, life is more fulfilling.

## **2.3 Relationships and sport**

Relationships are a fundamental aspect of human flourishing [12, 13]. Team sports (baseball, soccer, lacrosse, basketball, etc.) are opportunities for people to develop relationships that may lead to well-being. Healthy relationships are ones in which people feel challenged yet safe to express themselves and go after those challenges without ridicule. This is a good description of a healthy sports team. A good teammate pushes you to rise to and face obstacles and supports you during setbacks.

**13**

*Sports as a Mechanism for Reaching Your Potential: The Relationship between Positive Psychology…*

A good coach or teammate is an excellent resource for developing relationships. Research shows that engaging in developmentally appropriate team sports helps protect health-related quality of life at every age [14]. The matrix that is sport

Sport is also an excellent means of establishing or strengthening an individual's relationship with nature. Nature has been shown to increase well-being by improving physiological and mental health [15, 16]. Many sports are performed outdoors, some of which are performed directly in nature. For some people, this may be the only time they spend in nature and thus their only opportunity to improve their

Meaning, purpose, and fulfillment are a core aspect of Eudaimonic or a longterm aim at well-being. Purpose or a goal provides meaning to life, and when we act out that meaning toward achieving our goal and are successful, we feel fulfilled. Sport provides purpose, meaning, and fulfillment by providing people with a foundation from which to build upon via rules by which people need to operate under if they want to be successful. Rules often get a bad reputation as boring, but rules provide the structure by which progress happens. Without the direction and guidance of rules, a problem is not clearly identified, and thus, you cannot have a

For instance, being a successful free solo rock climber bases its foundation in being strong and lean and having high muscular endurance and low body fat percentage. This foundation may act as the base of a successful free solo rock climber's life. Everything they do may center around this purpose, and if they fall short, the results may cost them their life. It is for this reason that strict adherence to the rules of the sport provide a direct purpose or foundation by which to live by and meaning or guidance that must be followed for fulfillment to be achieved. Foundations such as this example provide a sense of direction to set goals and aim. This aim gives an

Athletes gain meaning and fulfillment from the act of learning their craft and developing their skills. Athletes are motivated to participate in their sport because it promotes positive experiences, which may lead to well-being [17]. The act of pursuing goals, not the achievement at the end, is meaning. In other words, the feedback from progressing toward their purpose provides the substance people need to live meaningfully more than a trophy. Sport by nature of providing a problem within the agreed upon rules or limitations grants a worthwhile quality to life through the

Sports are similar to a word problem in the sense that word problems are meant to teach you how to interpret a problem and answer it and then apply that same problem-solving process to the rest of life. Word problems are not about memorizing formulas and regurgitating answers, they are about recognizing problems then deciding which solution to apply in order to solve it. Sports offer problems as opportunities to learn how to problem solve in areas outside of sport. There is fulfillment

An achievement is an external reward, such as a trophy, graduate degree, or raise at work, whereas an accomplishment is an intrinsic process that is fulfilling in its own right [1]. An accomplishment is a successful journey or process people undergo in order to reach an achievement. Training hard over the course of a season is an

athlete meaning to an otherwise potentially undirected life.

act of attempting to solve those problems within the provided confines.

cultivates opportunities for relationships such as these to manifest.

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.91417*

physiological and mental health through nature.

**2.4 Meaning and sport**

clearly defined aim.

in solving your own problems.

**2.5 Accomplishment and sport**

*Sports as a Mechanism for Reaching Your Potential: The Relationship between Positive Psychology… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.91417*

A good coach or teammate is an excellent resource for developing relationships. Research shows that engaging in developmentally appropriate team sports helps protect health-related quality of life at every age [14]. The matrix that is sport cultivates opportunities for relationships such as these to manifest.

Sport is also an excellent means of establishing or strengthening an individual's relationship with nature. Nature has been shown to increase well-being by improving physiological and mental health [15, 16]. Many sports are performed outdoors, some of which are performed directly in nature. For some people, this may be the only time they spend in nature and thus their only opportunity to improve their physiological and mental health through nature.

#### **2.4 Meaning and sport**

*Sports Science and Human Health - Different Approaches*

occurs when the following characteristics are met [1]:

**2.2 Engagement and sports**

4.The concept of time is lost.

5.They do not feel self-conscious.

7.The activity is rewarding in itself.

appropriate to achieve flow at a higher level [1].

we are engaged, life is more fulfilling.

**2.3 Relationships and sport**

goals.

frequency of physical activity boost psychological well-being [8]. When people exercise beyond the weekly recommended number of moderate to vigorous activity minutes, they flourish and have positive affect, and their autonomy needs are met [9]. In other words, vigorous exercise produces a favorable emotional state [10].

Engagement or flow is the process of being fully engulfed by the activity. It is described as a state of optimal experience [11]. Athletes commonly find themselves deeply engaged in their sport to the extent that nothing beyond the moment matters. Engagement in sports is often described as "being in the zone." Engagement

1.An athlete feels challenged, yet capable of meeting the demands of the challenge.

2.There are clearly defined goals with immediate feedback concerning those

An athlete must find harmony between their challenge and skills if they want to be engaged. The sport needs to be highly challenging, yet the athlete must have the skills to match. The challenge should be slightly more difficult than what they are used to accomplishing. If the challenge is too far beyond their current skills, the athlete will feel anxious and stressed. If this occurs, the athlete must increase their skill or participate against a lower-level challenge until they reach the skill level

When athletes achieve this optimal state of engagement, they are in a state of mindfulness, when the only thing that matters is the moment and time ceases to exist. On top of scientific literature backing up the benefit of engagement and performance or well-being, philosophical schools of thought such as Buddhism and Stoicism support an idea of living in the moment as a corner stone of living "a good life" or a life worth living. The philosophy of yoga has a saying that the only sin is boredom, because we are not living in order with the universe. In other words, when

Relationships are a fundamental aspect of human flourishing [12, 13]. Team sports (baseball, soccer, lacrosse, basketball, etc.) are opportunities for people to develop relationships that may lead to well-being. Healthy relationships are ones in which people feel challenged yet safe to express themselves and go after those challenges without ridicule. This is a good description of a healthy sports team. A good teammate pushes you to rise to and face obstacles and supports you

3.The athlete feels engulfed by the activity; they are one with it.

6.There is no concern for failing, the athlete is in control.

**12**

during setbacks.

Meaning, purpose, and fulfillment are a core aspect of Eudaimonic or a longterm aim at well-being. Purpose or a goal provides meaning to life, and when we act out that meaning toward achieving our goal and are successful, we feel fulfilled. Sport provides purpose, meaning, and fulfillment by providing people with a foundation from which to build upon via rules by which people need to operate under if they want to be successful. Rules often get a bad reputation as boring, but rules provide the structure by which progress happens. Without the direction and guidance of rules, a problem is not clearly identified, and thus, you cannot have a clearly defined aim.

For instance, being a successful free solo rock climber bases its foundation in being strong and lean and having high muscular endurance and low body fat percentage. This foundation may act as the base of a successful free solo rock climber's life. Everything they do may center around this purpose, and if they fall short, the results may cost them their life. It is for this reason that strict adherence to the rules of the sport provide a direct purpose or foundation by which to live by and meaning or guidance that must be followed for fulfillment to be achieved. Foundations such as this example provide a sense of direction to set goals and aim. This aim gives an athlete meaning to an otherwise potentially undirected life.

Athletes gain meaning and fulfillment from the act of learning their craft and developing their skills. Athletes are motivated to participate in their sport because it promotes positive experiences, which may lead to well-being [17]. The act of pursuing goals, not the achievement at the end, is meaning. In other words, the feedback from progressing toward their purpose provides the substance people need to live meaningfully more than a trophy. Sport by nature of providing a problem within the agreed upon rules or limitations grants a worthwhile quality to life through the act of attempting to solve those problems within the provided confines.

Sports are similar to a word problem in the sense that word problems are meant to teach you how to interpret a problem and answer it and then apply that same problem-solving process to the rest of life. Word problems are not about memorizing formulas and regurgitating answers, they are about recognizing problems then deciding which solution to apply in order to solve it. Sports offer problems as opportunities to learn how to problem solve in areas outside of sport. There is fulfillment in solving your own problems.

#### **2.5 Accomplishment and sport**

An achievement is an external reward, such as a trophy, graduate degree, or raise at work, whereas an accomplishment is an intrinsic process that is fulfilling in its own right [1]. An accomplishment is a successful journey or process people undergo in order to reach an achievement. Training hard over the course of a season is an

accomplishment, whereas winning the championship is an achievement. Sticking to a resistance training program for a year is an accomplishment, whereas gaining your goal physique is an achievement.

Research shows that intrinsic motivation is generally more preferable than extrinsic motivation. Seligman's theory suggest that accomplishment is the result of our skill multiplied by our effort. In other words, it is not only how skilled we are, but how we apply those skills [1, 4]. Skill and effort according to Seligman are the byproduct of the speed at which we can think, i.e., we can make choices quickly, as well as the rate at which we can learn, providing us with more knowledge and thus experiences from which to quickly develop solutions to problems [1].

Sports are games in which participants are faced with problems, and in most sports, the goal is to outthink then outact your opponent in order to score a point. Your opponent is the problem or challenge, and you must apply your skills and effort by thinking quickly and having a vast knowledge base from which to draw upon in order to win. If you accomplish this more than your opponent, then you accomplish the goal of the sport. This process is an intrinsic skill you can apply to areas outside of sport.

Accomplishment entails progress toward a goal. A goal is an individual's aim. The very word goal has been adopted by sports as its main objective. American football, soccer, basketball, field hockey, ice hockey, and lacrosse players among other athletes are all attempting to score a goal. They are aiming at something, and if they hit their mark, they are accomplished through the effort and skill that brought them to that point.

Sports by nature always entail a feedback system in the form of a score. Scoreboards and team rankings are indicators of a team's progress toward their goal. Individual sports such as track and field or swimming keep documentation of personal records also known as personal best as feedback of athletes' progress. People need feedback to ensure them they are making progress toward their goal.

It is not the goal itself that grants an individual accomplishment, the goal is the achievement. Accomplishment is in the process of what it takes to develop as an individual or team in order to reach that goal. The accomplishment is the progress toward your potential. Sport is an area in which that progress may be developed.
