From Stress to Laughter: Development of a Sport-Specific Card Game

Background Achieving high performance under stress is fundamental in competitive sports. Professional athletes will frequently develop various adaptive coping strategies, including humour, to manage stressors. Objectives Our research group aimed to create a sport-specific card game as a practical tool for helping athletes manage stress in a relatable and engaging format. Methods During development, three studies were conducted. In Study 1 (n=39), negative and sometime humorous life events relevant to sporting and athletic experiences were gathered through an online survey. In Study 2 (n=170), a selected number of events were rated by athletes, coaches, and sport psychologists based on the perceived level of stress. In Study 3 (n=24), two pilot groups of athletes tested the game, providing qualitative feedback which was used to refine the game rules. Results and Conclusions Results indicate that the game effectively facilitated conversations about challenging topics, decreased subjective stress perception by means of humour, and fostered an enhanced sense of empathy and cohesion among players. These findings suggest the game could be a valuable resource for sport psychologists, offering an innovative approach to stress management, resilience-building, and promoting positive team dynamics in competitive sports contexts.