The player experience model is a visualisation to help people understand how to place the player at the centre of decision-making.
In this model, the centre is the optimal player experience: where the player is thriving in their environment. This develops based on positive interactions between people, environment and the game.
If one of these elements is not a positive interaction, the player may only be striving (but not developing), surviving or diving.
It is normal for a player to move between these zones, although the aim should always be to deliver an optimal player experience, where people are thriving. Coaches are encouraged to recognise how the wider environment and context (from the player development model) impacts the player experiences in both the short and long term.