High-performance athletes experience a set of stressors that arise from various sources, and in response to these, they tend to adopt patterns of response that give rise to different emotions. However, age, experience, and maturity are important factors in understanding stress management skills and subsequent sports performance. For this reason, the main objective of this study was to compare the levels of stress generated by different sources and the emotions associated with competition among youth and senior football players. The sample consisted of 401 male athletes, 208 seniors, and 193 youth competing in the top leagues of their respective age groups. The results suggest that youth athletes report lower levels of stress associated with opponents compared to senior athletes. There were no statistically significant differences regarding the other sources of stress and the intensity of reported emotions (anxiety, sadness, anger, excitement, and joy). Concerns about competitive failure predict anxiety (only in youth), anger (only in seniors), and sadness (in both groups). In the case of seniors, higher levels of athletes' concerns about poor condition and opponents predict lower excitement about competition.
Date of Award | 14 Jul 2023 |
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Original language | Portuguese |
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Awarding Institution | - Universidade Católica Portuguesa
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Supervisor | Catarina Morais (Supervisor) |
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- Stress management
- Sport
- Football
- Athletes
- Emotions
Stress e emoções no desporto: comparação da experiência de atletas juniores vs seniores
Secretário, L. M. C. (Student). 14 Jul 2023
Student thesis: Master's Thesis