Sport Competition Anxiety With Reference to Gender and Performance |

ABSTRACT:

The present study wasdesigned to analyse spots competitionanxiety with reference to gender and performance. The purpose of study was toevaluate the differentials among male and female softball players and firstfour position holders of inter collegiate softball tournament with regard tosports competition anxiety. To achieve this aim one hundred and twenty softballmale and female players who achieved first four position in Inter collegesoftball tournaments of man and women respectively were taken as subjects. Toassess the level of anxiety among male and female softball players: Sportscompetition anxiety test developed by Dr. Ravikant and Dr. V.N. Mishra (2003)was used the data was tabulated and analyzed through t-test. The results foundshow that significant difference was found between male and female athletes onsports competition anxiety. The comparative differentials were also significantamong all the position holders of male and female groups respectively. Yuri Hanin a notedRussian Sports Psychologist found that top athletes each have a zone of optimalstate anxiety in which their best performance occurs (1980, 1986, 1997). Someanxiety is a good thing. Mature, higher skilled players need a sense ofconcern-even urgency- before and during the contest (Mahoney et al. 1987) whenMahoney examined the psychological characteristics of athletes and non-athletes, they found that both groups experienced anxiety, However, eliteathletes were better able to manage anxiety than non-athletes.