The Effects of Individual vs Team Sports on Perceived Stress, Sports Anxiety and Sports Motivation among Competitive Youth Athletes

• Main Authors: Teh, R., Rajkumar Krishnan, Vasanthi
• Format: Article
• Published: DAA Scientific Section (Spain) 2022
• Subjects: QP Physiology; RC1200 Sports Medicine
• Online Access: http://eprints.intimal.edu.my/1734/; https://doi.org/10.58727/jshr.96641
• Institution: INTI International University

Objective: The objective of the study was to determine if there is a significant difference between perceived stress, sports anxiety and sports motivation among competitive young athletes in individual and team sports. Background: Organized sport has been shown to be the most optimal form of physical activity associated with improved mental health. This is especially important in the youth population, where the prevalence of mental health problems has been on an upward trend. It remains unknown whether individual and team sports vary in terms of their impact on perceived stress, sports anxiety, and sports motivation among competitive young athletes. Methods: We conducted ex post facto quasi-experimental research in which participants in individual or team sports were retrospectively studied for perceived stress, sports anxiety, and sports motivation. We compared self-reported measures of perceived stress, sports anxiety, and sports motivation among athletes in individual and team sports. Results: The results indicate that there is a significant difference between perceived stress (p <.001), sports anxiety (p <.001) and sports motivation (p = .002) between competitive young athletes in individual sports vs. Conclusion: individual sports athletes are more likely to report higher perceived stress, higher sports anxiety, and lower sports motivation compared to team sports athletes.