Prazer e sofrimento no esporte de alto rendimento individual

Abstract

The present study aimed to verify with former athletes of individual high performance sports, that is, who had sports as a profession, perceptions of pleasure and/or suffering at work. It was demonstrated that high performance sport represents a work field, once it generates financial, social and cultural resources, and awakens the interest of the State and of the society. Through the Content Analysis carried out by means of two categories, one that aggregated the experiences of pleasure in high performance sports, and the other the experiences of suffering, it was verified that the elements that make up the sports scenario provoke in the athlete both positive and negative emotions. It was concluded that, as in other professions, a career in sports presents several possibilities for athletes, both of pleasurable and suffering sensations. It is up to the athlete to seek ways of coping with less gratifying situations, always aiming at pleasurable achievements by overcoming adversities.