Adherence to Fitness Training of Elite Netball Players: A Naturalistic Inquiry

Abstract

This study uses naturalistic inquiry to identify fitness training facilitators and barriers experienced by elite netball players and to determine whether they were related to types of Fitness training behavior. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 15 female national netball players. Inductive analysis revealed large variability between players’ fitness-training behaviors. Four case families of training behavior based on similar adoption and maintenance behaviors were identified. Cross-case analysis revealed that (a) self-motivation, enjoyment, attitude toward fitness training, and role of an England netball player were key facilitators of fitness training behavior; (b) facilitators and barriers appeared similar to those identified in the exercise-adherence literature; and (c) most facilitators and barriers could be viewed as operating through a revised theory of planned behavior (Maddux, 1993). Practical applications of the findings are discussed.