Abstract
Research on personality in sport is very popular as it allows prediction of the behavior of players in the starting situation. Hence, verifications of players due to their sports level may turn out to be crucial. Due to the dynamic development of American football in Poland, we undertook research to verify the relationship between the sports level and the personality of these players. The Big Five personality study that we carried out involved players aged from 20 to 29—the representatives of American football clubs in Poland (N = 140) from three league games levels: LFA 1 (n = 75), LFA 2 (n = 40), and LFA 9 (n = 25). The NEO-FFI personality questionnaire was used as a research tool. The players from the top-level games were characterized by their openness to experience, the level of which decreases along with the decrease in the players’ sports levels. The differences in openness to experience were revealed, first of all, in divergent thinking and creativity. It was ascertained that openness to experience is a characteristic personality trait for American football players in Poland. Therefore, systematic conduct of personality tests among American football players in Poland, in the process of selecting candidates for the highest levels of football competition, would be recommended. This might significantly affect the development of the sports level of this discipline in Poland. The obtained results of research on personality may, moreover, prove to be useful in selecting players and improving the predictions of important sports behaviors in American football in Poland.
Highlights
Published: 10 December 2021American football is considered a brutal contact sport with players’ collisions being an integral part of the game [1]
The research hypothesis has been verified positively—there are differences in the personality profiles of American football players in Poland depending on the sports level of the League of American Football (LFA) games
It is recommended to systematically conduct personality tests among American football players in Poland in the process of recruiting candidates for football competition at the highest level
Summary
American football is considered a brutal contact sport with players’ collisions being an integral part of the game [1]. Enough, it is one of the few team sports in the world that allows for an attack by a player who is present on the pitch, but who is not taking an active part in the action. In comparison to other sports, this discipline is distinguished by above-average explosiveness and the ensuing force used during the game [2] It should be noted, that American football is based on very advanced tactical arrangements. An American football player, regardless of the sport level represented, should take care of both his proper motor and mental preparation [3]
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