Quinn Johnsson, Leslie Podlog, Maxime Charron, David Keatley, James A. Dimmock, Jeffrey G. Caron, Marie-Lyne Nault

Psychological readiness is a key component of a safe and successful return to competition from an injury, but the psychological antecedents (e.g., thoughts, emotions, behaviours) that influence its development remain unclear. Additionally, the preponderance of research on adult athletes overlooks the developmental context of adolescence (ages 12-17), which adds unique social, psychological, and biological complexities for these athletes. The purpose of this study is therefore to explore the antecedents of psychological readiness to return to competition based on semi-structured interviews with adolescent athletes (Mage = 15) who were removed from sport due to severe injury for a minimum of 28 days (M = 187) and have since returned to competition. Data collection is ongoing with 8 interviews completed to date. Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis is being used to explore the content and timing of antecedents. Preliminary results show that feelings of loss (i.e., sadness, fear, anger), concerns about future sport participation, and challenges with activities of daily living were prominent immediately following injury, holding potential distal implications for psychological readiness. After surgery and during active rehabilitation, completing prescribed exercises, testing physical limits, and practicing sports skills improved confidence. Spectating sports games also fostered psychological readiness by motivating athletes to return and helping them visualize the physical, technical, and tactical demands of practice and competition. Finally, the intensity and complexity of practices simulated the psychological demands of competitive play. Support providers can consider the role of identified antecedents when facilitating athletes’ psychological readiness to return to competition.