Multidimensional sport competitive anxiety among women football players according to playing position

Abstract

Our study looked at the levels of multidimensional anxiety among female football players based on their playing positions in an effort to help fill the empirical evidence gap for anxiety in women's football. The research involved 52 female football players (N = 52), including goalkeepers, defenders, strikers and midfielders, aged between 10 and 29 years (Mean = 14.25). To assess the psychological characteristics of the participants, the sport competition anxiety test (SCAT) and the competitive state anxiety inventory-2 (CSAI- 2) were used to gather sport-specific data on trait anxiety, cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety and selfconfidence. Data revealed that the midfielders showed the lowest level of competitive trait anxiety, better than defenders and strikers, while the goalkeepers recorded the highest score. On the cognitive anxiety scale, strikers had the lowest score, while defenders had the highest score. Goalkeepers scored highest on the somatic anxiety scale, while defenders scored lowest, better than forwards and midfielders. On the self-confidence scale, midfielders had better scores than defenders and attackers, while goalkeepers showed the lowest scores in selfconfidence. The results revealed psychological variations associated with different playing positions, highlighting the need for position-specific psychological support, as each position in football presents unique mental challenges that can significantly impact performance and overall well-being. This study demonstrates that both practical and psychological significance are crucial concepts that extend beyond mere statistical significance, emphasizing the importance of applying these insights to improve overall development, resilience and performance of the player. These findings provide a foundation for further investigation into the factors contributing to excellence in women's football, encouraging more comprehensive research that considers both mental and tactical dimensions of the playing positions.