Table 1.

Emergent themes from written description of performance context.

Performance	Themes	Examples
Best performance	1. Facilitative anxiety	“I was very nervous and this seemed to have a positive effect. There was a lot at stake. I scored the winning try and beat the best team from around the region”. “I was extremely pumped up prior the game, it had been on my mind all week, but I play better in pressure situations”.
	2. Lack of pressure	“I was the underdog, so was not expected to win, this gave me the increased determination”. “It was my first time away with an international team, I only knew one other player. No one expected any special performance from me. I was confident and composed throughout”.
	3. Playing well	“We were all on a high from winning as many games as we did and this helped my confidence in my own performance” “Played quite well, played in goal and made some vital saves” “Unexpected to get through this far, played exceptionally well”
	4. Preparation	“I trained my hardest ever losing a lot of weight. I managed to relax as much as possible and after the first bout I felt very confident, inspired and capable of winning”. “I felt nervous but had put in lots of hard preparation for the event”.
	5. Perceived importance	“Trained hard all winter for one race which through winning would go onto county and north of England trials. I was confident and geared to win although a little nervous” “We were the host team for a tournament we had never won, winning was an amazing achievement for us”
Injured performance	1. High aspirations	“The high level of the competition made me feel like I needed to prove something, I scored twice in the game but I pushed myself too hard and tore my hamstring”.
	2. Playing well	“Was playing well, I got hit in a bad tackle and dislocated my right shoulder”. “I was playing goal attack. I played really well, I jumped up to catch a ball and landed on the goal defenses’ foot and went over on my ankle”.
	3. Perceived importance	“It was an important club game with England selectors watching, and I was playing well until my injury. I was stamped on and had a gash that needed stitches”. “The high level of the competition made me feel like I needed to prove something, I scored twice in the game but I pushed myself too hard and tore my hamstring”.
	4. Enjoyment	“It was my first game back after a season off. It was the first 15 minutes of the game and I was happy to be playing again. I sprained my ankle chasing a ball down the line”. “I was playing well and enjoying the game. I got an elbow in the nose which broke my nose”.
	5. Poor judgment	“I was playing very well and just went in for a tackle on the wrong side of the attacker. I fractured my cheekbone and broke my nose”. “I was injured after 2 minutes, my knee was sore before I played so I should not have played on it”.
	6. Injury expectations	“It was an away game that took 2.5 hours to get there. It was my second appearance for the first team. They had a far superior team and we all knew we were going to get a hammering. I injured my ankle”. “I was very nervous as this was my First National championships. I had an irrational fear that I would get injured during this competition. Then I fractured my elbow and was unable to participate for about 9 months”.
	7. Bad luck	“This was full contact so could be expected. I was very determined and focused and was unlucky to get injured”. “I received a neck injury and was out for one month. I felt fine during the competition I was just unlucky. I was well prepared and not nervous”.
Worst performance	1. Excessive pressure	“My line out jumping was terrible, I put too much pressure on myself”. “I was expected to get a medal and felt under pressure from parents and coaches before the race”.
	2. Poor preparation	“I was nervous about playing abroad and I was not very well prepared”.
	3. Overconfidence	“The team had been very fortunate to progress to the final and we were all on a high before the game. We stepped onto the pitch thinking we had already won”.
	5. Low self-confidence	“I was provided accommodation in a caravan at the national championships, so I had no sleep. I was alone with no support and I had a lack of confidence. I though I was not worthy of a place”. “I lost all self belief and was simply going through the motions”.
	6. Distractions	“It was an important cup game. I had a poor game because of the crowd and abuse. Therefore, I became uninterested, lost, fatigued and frustrated leading to being penalized by the referee”. “No one on the team played well which pulled everyone’s performance down”.
	7. Fatigue	“It was an away game with a long journey. I was very tired and not very focused”.