The structure and content of flow experience narratives in sport: The tale of an elite sportsman

Abstract

Through an example of structure analysis of the narrative of flow by one elite sportsman, this article attempts to shed some light on this debate in the context of understanding flow experiences as a narrative. A sportsman was invited to (a) think about flow moments; (b) describe these experiences in as much detail as possible; and (c) contextualize the experiences by delving into his life story. The recorded interviews of the participant were transcribed and subject to categorical-form and categorical-content analyses. The results show that: (a) the form and content of this participant's flow experiences were mediated by the narrative structure of his story and (b) the very story was what provided meaning to the participant's experiences of flow.