The relationship between evaluative concerns and sport competition state anxiety among youth skiers

Thirty-four youth competitive skiers (mean age = 13.74 years) completed measures of social evaluative concern and competitive anxiety. Consistent with past research, regression analyses showed that cognitive anxiety was related to performance-specific evaluative concerns. However, contrary to current conceptualizations of sport competition anxiety, somatic anxiety was correlated with concerns about evaluation of other non-performance aspects of ski racing. Competitive skiers were most concerned about parents' and friends' evaluations of their performance, and other competitors' and friends' evaluations of their skiing in general. These findings are discussed in relation to the theory and management of sport competition state anxiety.     

Observing the coach-created motivational environment across training and competition in youth sport

Adopting an integrated achievement goal (Nicholls, J. G. (1989). The competitive ethos and democratic education. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.) and self-determination theory (Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11, 227–268. doi:10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01) perspective as proffered by Duda, J. L. (2013). (The conceptual and empirical foundations of empowering coaching^TM: Setting the stage for the PAPA project. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 11, 311–318. doi:10.1080/1612197X.2013.839414), the aim of the current study was to observe empowering and disempowering features of the multidimensional motivational coaching environment in training and competition in youth sport. Seventeen grass-roots soccer coaches were observed and rated in training and competitive settings using the multidimensional motivational climate observation system (MMCOS; Smith, N., Tessier, D., Tzioumakis, Y., Quested, E., Appleton, P., Sarrazin, P., … Duda, J. L. (2015). Development and validation of the multidimensional motivational climate observation system (MMCOS). Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 37, 4–22. doi:10.1123/jsep.2014-0059). In line with our hypotheses, coaches created different motivational environments in the two contexts. More specifically, coaches were observed to create a less empowering and more disempowering environment in competition compared to in training. The observed differences were underpinned by distinctive motivational strategies used by coaches in the two contexts. Findings have implications for the assessment of the coach-created motivational environment and the promotion of quality motivation for young athletes taking part in grass-roots-level sport.     

The relationship between physical abilities,ball-carrying and tackling among elite youth rugby league players

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between the physical abilities of adolescent rugby league players and tackling and ball-carrying skills performed during matches, across three seasons (under-15 to under-17). The players were measured each season for acceleration (10–30 m), peak and mean speed (10–30 m), sprinting force (10–30 m), aerobic power, counter-movement jump (CMJ) height and jumping power. The matches were filmed and analysed for ball-carrying and tackling frequency per minute (successful and unsuccessful outcomes). There were strong relationships between successful carries?min^–1 and 10 m force in the under-15 (R = 0.61, P < 0.001), under-16 (R = 0.69, P < 0.001) and under-17 groups (R = 0.64, P < 0.001). There were also strong and moderate relationships between predicted vertical power and successful carries?min^–1 in the under-15 (R = 0.63, P = 0.011) and under-17 group (R = 0.40, P = 0.030), respectively. There were no relationships between carries or tackles and any other performance indicators. These findings suggest that acceleration, in accordance with gains in body mass, support ball-carrying but not tackling performance. Performance measurements, such as CMJ or aerobic power, do not support ball-carrying ability among youth rugby league players.     

Effects of confidence and anxiety on flow state in competition

Abstract

Confidence and anxiety are important variables that underlie the experience of flow in sport. Specifically, research has indicated that confidence displays a positive relationship and anxiety a negative relationship with flow. The aim of this study was to assess potential direct and indirect effects of confidence and anxiety dimensions on flow state in tennis competition. A sample of 59 junior tennis players completed measures of Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2d and Flow State Scale-2. Following predictive analysis, results showed significant positive correlations between confidence (intensity and direction) and anxiety symptoms (only directional perceptions) with flow state. Standard multiple regression analysis indicated confidence as the only significant predictor of flow. The results confirmed a protective function of confidence against debilitating anxiety interpretations, but there were no significant interaction effects between confidence and anxiety on flow state.     

The relationship between sport commitment and physical self-concept: Evidence for the self-enhancement hypothesis among adolescent females

ABSTRACT

Perceptions of physical self-concept are critical to physical activity participation. In line with the reciprocal effects model of causal ordering (REM), higher perceptions of physical self-concept can function as a facilitator to physical activity, and can arise as a result of engaging in physical activity. While this relationship has been predominantly tested in physical activity contexts, directional tests between physical self-concept and sport specific outcomes are limited. The current study aimed to evaluate the generalizability of the REM to sport commitment and physical self-concept in youth athletes. Over 24 months, adolescent females (N = 215) completed self-report questionnaires at Time 1 (T1) and two years later (Time 2; T2). Using structural equation modeling, the reciprocal effects model demonstrated that the path leading from T1 physical self-concept to T2 sport commitment was significant (p = .02), whereas the path leading from T1 sport commitment to T2 physical self-concept was not significant (p = .23). The results suggest a unidirectional relationship and may underscore the importance of focusing on the physical self-concept in the development of strategies geared towards improving adolescent female’s sport participation.     

Relationships among values, achievement orientations, and attitudes in youth sport

This research examines the value-expressive function of attitudes and achievement goal theory in predicting moral attitudes. In Study 1, the Youth Sport Values Questionnaire (YSVQ; Lee, Whitehead, & Balchin, 2000) was modified to measure moral, competence, and status values. In Study 2, structural equation modeling on data from 549 competitors (317 males, 232 females) aged 12-15 years showed that moral and competence values predicted prosocial attitudes, whereas moral (negatively) and status values (positively) predicted antisocial attitudes. Competence and status values predicted task and ego orientation, respectively, and task and ego orientation partially mediated the effect of competence values on prosocial attitudes and of status values on antisocial attitudes, respectively. The role of sport values is discussed, and new research directions are proposed.     

体育运动与道德发展关系再认识

体育情境中的道德发展研究是学术界当前最关注的课题之一.通过对体育有助于良性道德倾向的建立、体育对于道德的发展或定向有无实质性影响、体育对参与者道德的负面影响三方面进行分析与论证,进而探讨体育运动对道德发展的作用及影响机制,以期发挥体育运动对道德的促进功能,从而促进全人类的道德发展,使体育运动成为人类展现文明的舞台,人类完美自身的媒介.     

Self-presentational concerns and competitive anxiety

The purpose of this study was to improve understanding of the link between self-presentational concerns and competitive anxiety. Specifically, we examined (a) associations among self-presentational concerns and competitive state anxiety dimensional symptom responses using the modified Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2; Martens, Vealey, & Burton, 1990) and (b) whether self-presentational concerns mediate trait-state anxiety relationships. In addressing these matters, we also examined the factor structure and composition of the Self-Presentation in Sport Questionnaire (SPSQ; Wilson & Eklund, 1998). Results showed that self-presentational concerns were positively associated with intensity and frequency dimensional symptoms and negatively associated with direction symptoms. Results also showed that self-presentational concerns demonstrated consistently higher associations with the cognitive component and the intensity symptom of the CSAI-2 state measures. Results showed no support for the notion that self-presentational concerns mediate the trait-state anxiety relationship. When examining the factor structure and composition of the SPSQ, the results from two independent athlete samples support the tenability of an abbreviated 21-item four-factor model. Thus the newly constituted scale is recommended for measuring self-presentational concerns in sport.     

少年田径运动员成就目标对心理健康、运动成绩的影响

综合运用问卷调查法、文献资料法、数理统计法及以访谈法等方法，分析讨论了成就目标、心理健康与运动成绩的关系。结果表明：掌握目标与躯体化因子的相关达到显著水平；成绩目标与人际关系敏感因子、焦虑因子、敌对因子的相关达到显著水平；掌握目标与运动成绩存在显著的正相关；高成就目标定向组和高掌握目标定向组运动成绩的得分分别与低成就目标定向组存在非常显著差异，高成就目标定向组和高掌握目标定向组运动成绩的均分较高；心理健康总分，高掌握目标定向组与高成就目标定向组、高成绩目标定向组、低成就目标定向组均存在显著差异，高掌握目标定向组得分最低。因此认为，高掌握目标定向最有利于运动员的全面发展。建议在培养少年田径运动员的成就目标定向时，应帮助运动员树立能力增长观，在运动训练过程中多设置掌握定向氛．围。     

In support of sport: Examining the relationship between community sport organizations and sponsors

Sponsorships are a critical resource for nonprofit community sport organizations (CSOs) that are increasingly experiencing pressure to generate funding beyond their traditional source of membership revenues. In order to optimize this alternative source, it is important to understand the nature of the relationship between CSOs and sponsors and its impact on those clubs. Scales were developed, and presidents of CSOs (N = 189) completed a corresponding survey that measures the extent to which clubs’ relationship with their key sponsor was characterized by various elements of the relationship process and relationship outcomes. Operational competence was a consistent predictor of the impact of the sponsor relationship on club program/operations and community presence, and further enhanced the impact of long-standing sponsorships. Notably, operational competence was perceived to be required to a lesser extent in CSO–sponsor relationships than in the other process elements. Implications for effective CSO–sponsor relationships and directions for future research are presented.     

The carbon footprint of active sport tourists: an empirical analysis of skiers and boarders

ABSTRACT

This study estimated the annual carbon footprint of active sport tourists caused by snow-sport-related travel in the context of day trips, vacations, training courses, and competitions in 2015. Information about individual travel behaviour, sport profile, environmental consciousness, and socio-economic characteristics was collected using a nationwide online survey of adult skiers and boarders living in Germany (n?=?523). The average annual carbon footprint of snow sport tourists was 431.6?kg of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions in 2015. Boarders had a higher carbon footprint than skiers. Regression analyses revealed that income and number of snow days had a significant positive effect on annual carbon footprint, while environmental consciousness was insignificant. This finding can be explained with the value–action gap and the low-cost hypothesis, suggesting that environmental attitudes were not associated with pro-environmental behaviour in terms of a lower carbon footprint because snow-sport-related travel was perceived as a high-cost situation by respondents. Segmenting respondents by snow-sport-related travel behaviour yielded two clusters, frequent travellers (56% boarders) and occasional riders (43% skiers), which differed with regard to annual carbon footprint, club membership, number of snow days, and performance level. This study contributes to the literature on active sport tourism and carbon footprinting.     

少年田径运动员成就目标的发展特点

为探讨少年田径运动员成就目标的发展特点，对广西334名少年田径运动员的成就目标进行了分析。少年田径运动员的成就目标的性别主效应显著，女运动员的掌握目标高于男运动员，男运动员的成绩目标高于女运动员：训练年限主效应也达到了显著水平，随着训练年限的增加，掌握目标的发展呈下降趋势，成绩目标的发展呈上升趋势；成绩目标的运动等级主效应显著，三级运动员的成绩目标显著高于二级运动员；少年田径运动员的主导目标为掌握目标。结论：少年田径运动员的成就目标受后天环境影响较大。建议在培养少年田径运动员的成就目标定向时，应帮助运动员树立能力增长观，在运动训练过程中多设置掌握定向氛围。     

The moderating effect of physical activity on the relationship between bullying and mental health among sexual and gender minority youth

BackgroundSexual and gender minority youth frequently experience bullying, which often contributes to higher depressive symptoms and lower self-esteem. Given that physical activity (PA) can mitigate depressive symptoms and improve self-esteem, we examined the moderating effect of PA on the relationship between bullying and mental health among sexual and gender minority youth.MethodsData from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer National Teen Survey (n = 9890) were analyzed. Hierarchical regression analyses examined the influence of history and frequency of being bullied, PA, and the interaction of these variables on depressive symptoms and self-esteem. Simple slopes analyses were used to probe significant interactions.ResultsResults indicated the importance of accounting for bullying history when examining effects of PA on mental health. PA was negatively related to depression (t = –4.18, p < 0.001) and positively related to self-esteem (t = 12.11, p < 0.001). Bullying frequency was positively related to depression (t = 19.35, p < 0.001) and negatively related to self-esteem (t = –12.46, p < 0.001). There was a significant interaction between bullying frequency and PA for depression (t = 4.45, p < 0.001) and self-esteem (t = –4.69, p < 0.001). Post hoc analyses suggested that the positive effects of PA on mental health may be limited to those not bullied because it had a negligible effect on those who were bullied.ConclusionResults suggest that sexual and gender minority youth exercise interventions aiming to improve mental health should first address bullying history; otherwise, their effectiveness may be limited to those who have been bullied.     

Exploring the relationship between hope and burnout in competitive sport

Abstract

Researchers have postulated that hope may be an important factor associated with burnout. Consistent with hope theory contentions, low-hope individuals may be susceptible to burnout because they are prone to experience goal blockage, frustration, and negative affect, all of which likely increase the risk of burnout. We examined the relationship between hope and athlete burnout among 178 competitive athletes (63 females and 115 males) aged 15–20 years. Hope was significantly and negatively correlated with all three burnout subscales: emotional/physical exhaustion, a reduced sense of accomplishment, and sport devaluation. Moreover, results of a multivariate analysis of variance showed that low-hope athletes scored significantly higher than medium- and high-hope athletes on all three burnout dimensions. Finally, results revealed that agency thinking was a significant predictor of all burnout dimensions. Frustration over unmet goals and a perceived lack of agency, a characteristic of low-hope athletes, might pose a risk factor in athlete burnout, whereas being able to maintain hope appears to be associated with health and well-being.     

Exploring the relationship between hope and burnout in competitive sport

Researchers have postulated that hope may be an important factor associated with burnout. Consistent with hope theory contentions, low-hope individuals may be susceptible to burnout because they are prone to experience goal blockage, frustration, and negative affect, all of which likely increase the risk of burnout. We examined the relationship between hope and athlete burnout among 178 competitive athletes (63 females and 115 males) aged 15-20 years. Hope was significantly and negatively correlated with all three burnout subscales: emotional/physical exhaustion, a reduced sense of accomplishment, and sport devaluation. Moreover, results of a multivariate analysis of variance showed that low-hope athletes scored significantly higher than medium- and high-hope athletes on all three burnout dimensions. Finally, results revealed that agency thinking was a significant predictor of all burnout dimensions. Frustration over unmet goals and a perceived lack of agency, a characteristic of low-hope athletes, might pose a risk factor in athlete burnout, whereas being able to maintain hope appears to be associated with health and well-being.     

Implicit beliefs of ability,approach-avoidance goals and cognitive anxiety among team sport athletes

Abstract

People's implicit beliefs of ability have been suggested as an antecedent of achievement goal adoption, which has in turn been associated with behavioural, cognitive and affective outcomes. This study examined a conditional process model with team sport athletes' approach-avoidance achievement goals as mediators between their implicit beliefs of sport ability and sport-related cognitive anxiety. We expected gender to moderate the paths from implicit beliefs of ability to approach-avoidance goals and from approach-avoidance goals to cognitive anxiety. Team sport athletes with a mean age of 20 years (163 females and 152 males) responded to questionnaires about their implicit beliefs of sport ability, approach-avoidance goals and sport-related cognitive anxiety. Incremental beliefs, gender and the interaction between them predicted mastery-approach goals. Gender also predicted mastery-avoidance goals, with females reporting higher levels than males. Mastery-avoidance goals, gender and the interaction between them predicted cognitive anxiety, with females reporting higher levels of anxiety than males. Entity beliefs positively predicted performance-avoidance goals and the interaction between performance-approach and gender predicted anxiety. The indirect effects also showed gender differences in relation to performance-approach goals. Taken together, our results suggest that coaches trying to create a facilitating climate for their male and female athletes may be wise to consider their athletes' anxiety and achievement goal patterns as these may affect both the athletes' well-being and performance.