The Swiss Shooting Federation is participating in a new research project focused on the development of mental and social skills in sport, together with Swiss-Ski and Swiss Aquatics.
Supported by Swiss Olympic through the Sport Innovation Hub, the project aims to better understand how athletes in individual sports can be supported throughout their long-term development pathway, both inside and outside competition environments.
The initiative combines scientific research with practical feedback from coaches and athletes. A needs assessment involving shooting sport coaches is currently underway, with the goal of identifying the real challenges faced in training and competition settings.
Combining research and coaching experience
The project is divided into three main work areas:
The first focuses on collecting scientific evidence and analysing current challenges and opportunities linked to mental skills development in individual sports. This includes literature reviews and interviews with coaches and experts.
The second phase includes sport-specific surveys and focus group interviews to better understand the needs of coaches and athletes in shooting, swimming and snow sports.
The final phase will involve the development of an FTEM-based framework and practical coaching tools for mental skills development.
According to Swiss Shooting, the objective is to provide coaches with level-appropriate tools that can be integrated into daily training practice. These tools may include training content, orientation knowledge and methodological or pedagogical strategies.
The broader goal is to support athletes not only in performance enhancement, but also in areas such as mental health, rehabilitation and long-term athlete wellbeing.
Coaches encouraged to participate
Swiss Shooting highlighted the importance of coaches’ practical experience within the project, noting that their input is considered essential for shaping future educational and development materials.
The survey, which takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete, is conducted by the Sports Medicine Research Group at Balgrist University Hospital in collaboration with Swiss Shooting.
The federation is encouraging shooting sport coaches to contribute to the initiative and help support the future development of mental and social skills programmes within the sport through this link.
