Abstract
Abstract. Anxiety represents a multifaceted response that can hinder or help performance. Anxiety experienced at high intensity and in the long term is a noxious phenomenon. However, moderate anxiety can lead to improved performance, stimulating on-task effort. The aims of our study are to determine the pattern of anxious reactions in coaches with superior results in competition and to identify which facet of anxiety is a better predictor of sports performance. A total of 57 coaches (19 women and 38 men) participated in the research. We assessed four facets of trait anxiety using the Endler Multidimensional Anxiety Scales. The results highlight significantly lower scores in successful coaches compared to novice coaches for anxiety in new situations and in separation conditions. When talking about anxiety in physically dangerous and sociallyevaluative circumstances, no significant differences were found between the two groups of coaches (successful and beginner ones). After performing two separate binomial logistic regressions, we can argue that the scores for anxiety in separation conditions are a better predictor of sports performance than anxiety in new situations, the model explaining 30% of the variance in international or national performance and correctly classifying 75.4% of cases. The conclusions of our study represent valuable resources for sports psychologists, future (and current) coaches and researchers who are eager to better understand the impact of A-trait on sports performance, in the case of coaches.
Highlights
A-trait refers to an unpleasant emotion that is characterised by persistent dread (Cashmore, 2002) felt in the absence of true circumstances.The coaching profession is characterised by the profound uniqueness of its nature
The purposes of our research were to highlight what was specific to coaches with superior results in competitions, considering trait anxiety, and to identify which facet of A-trait was a better predictor of sports performance
We emphasised that anxiety in new situations and in separation circumstances was specific to successful coaches
Summary
The coaching profession is characterised by the profound uniqueness of its nature. A coach is simultaneously a teacher, a father/mother figure, sometimes even playing the role of a psychologist, and other roles thought to be necessary at some point. Performance/Results (we refer to the coach’s performance) - this is about the coach’s fear of not properly preparing athletes for what they have to achieve in a competition and anxiety about possible defeat in important matches or losing matches due to factors that are related to chance or are outside of the coach’s control (67% of male coaches and 90% of female coaches feel anxious because of the mentioned sources). We mention the following sources of anxiety and stress for coaches in their activity, which are expressed as a percentage (Yow et al, 2011): Athletes - we refer to the fear of coaches regarding the performance of athletes on the day of the match, as well as the fear of injury (anxiety of physical danger); it seems that most of the concerns regarding possible injuries occur in the case of football coaches (83% of male coaches and 90% of female coaches).
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