The Co-Creation of Representative Training Designs in Elite Water Polo Using a Scientist-Practitioner Approach

This article describes an evidence-informed, collaborative process to bridge the gap between science and practice and tailor representative training designs to a national water polo team. Team gaps and context-specific needs were identified and probed using quantitative methods and “gamestorming” focus groups. The resulting data informed the subsequent co-design of a Constraints-led Holistic Approach to Overcoming Stressors (CHAOS), an intervention that considered not only physical but also cognitive and emotional demands of competitive match play. The process we depict may be adapted to diverse contexts, and we additionally share practical tools and reflections that may be relevant for other scientist-practitioners.