Evaluating the Correlation between 16-17 Aged Swimmers’ Pre-Competitive Anxiety Levels and Performance Outcomes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17309/tmfv.2025.4.12Keywords:
pre-start anxiety, self-regulation skills, competitive performance, competitive swimmers aged 16–17 yearsAbstract
Background. The results obtained by swimmers of different ages in competitions are generally lower than those achieved in training. Supporting this, swimmers often report that they were unable to manage their emotions before competitions. The present study investigates the effects of psychological training on pre-competition anxiety levels and performance outcomes in competitive swimmers aged 16–17 years.
Objectives. The study aimed to evaluate the correlation between pre-competition anxiety levels and performance results of 16–17-year-old competitive swimmers engaging in a special water-based exercise program that includes various methods for developing psychological skills.
Materials and methods. A total of 20 swimmers were included in the final analysis based on the inclusion criteria. The following methods were applied: theoretical analysis; empirical methods (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), pedagogical intervention, and World Aquatics (WA) scores for evaluating competitive performance); and statistical analysis methods (RStudio data processing: descriptive statistics, Shapiro test, Fisher’s test, T-test, and Pearson’s correlation test).
Results. The results showed a statistically significant reduction in situational anxiety (p < 0.01), with mean SA scores decreasing from 34.5 (SD = 4.2) to 26.5 (SD = 6.1). However, personal anxiety scores remained relatively stable (p = 0.06). Competitive performance, as measured by WA scores, demonstrated a slight improvement, but this was not statistically significant (p = 0.26). Correlation analysis revealed a moderate relationship between anxiety levels and performance outcomes.
Conclusions. The findings suggest that targeted psychological training can effectively reduce pre-competition anxiety, but may not directly lead to improved performance. Further research is needed to explore individual differences in anxiety responses and the long-term effects of psychological preparation in competitive swimming.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Veronika Gorskova, Agita Abele, Jelena Solovjova, Hovhannes Gabrielyan
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