THE IMPACT OF COMPETITIVE ANXIETY AND PARENTAL INFLUENCE ON THE PERFORMANCE OF YOUNG SWIMMERS

Abstract

F. Javier Ponseti, Albert Sese, Alexandre Garcia-Mas

This study examines the relationship between competitive anxiety (in its cognitive and somatic components) and managerial behaviors, pressure, support, understanding, and the active involvement of parents in their children’s sports activities. Thirty-seven competitive young swimmers with a mean age of 12.22 years were studied based on records of their athletic performance in two official competitions during the 2012-2013 season. To analyze the psychological variables, the athletes were administered the Spanish-adapted version of the Sport Anxiety Scale (SAS-2) and the Parental Involvement in Sport Questionnaire (PISQ), with the effect size analyzed in terms of gender and the performance of the swimmers. The results show the influence of competitive anxiety on performance, mostly centered in the worry, and gender differences, but no significant relation to parental influence was found.