COPING STRATEGIES OF ATHLETES OVER COMPETITIVE ANXIETY:

A PHENOMENOLOGICAL RESEARCH

A Qualitative Research
Presented to
The Faculty of the University of Mindanao
UM Tagum College
Tagum City

In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Course
BPE 412 (Research in PE)

Submitted by:

CHRISTINE S. TAPIC
RENATO S. OPAMA JR.
HONEY JEAN ESPENORIO

Submitted to:
KEN CLYDE O. LONGOS
Professor
Rationale

Anxiety is one of the psychological factors that can impede an athlete from

performing at their peak in a sports competition and this topic has been the

subject of many research studies (Swain and Jones, 1996). Furthermore,

competitive anxiety is an athlete's tendency to perceive competitive situations

as threat and consider match as formidable challenge, which have an impact

on competitive behavior. It involves both cognitive symptoms (e.g., worry,

rumination) and somatic symptoms (e.g., palm sweating). On that matter, coping

mechanisms are seen as pivotal factor for athletes to achieve optimal sports

performance. In the study of Hasana & Refanthira, athletes report using a myriad

of strategies to cope with competitive anxiety such as the integration of self-talk,

and goal setting (Mousavi & Meshkini, 2011), and muscle relaxation and imagery

(Bagherpour et al., 2012). A related study by Bennett (2007) highlights the

significance of using therapeutic strategies by supporting athletes in reducing

perceived threats in their environment by fostering confidence (Martens et al.,

1990).

In UM Tagum Campus, sports competition promotes school spirit and unity,

which allow the student athletes to take pride in and feel connected to the higher

educational endeavor. Thus, it is essential to acknowledge the challenges they

encounter and strategies to overcome this hardship. The researcher seek to

conduct this study exploring the coping strategies of athletes over competitive

anxiety. Additionally, this study is phenomenological in nature, that will

deliberately delve into the lived experiences of athletes.

Anxiety Coping Strategies

Coping strategies are being used as a way of eliminating an athletes level of

stress and arousal before a game (Morgan, 2010). Current research has

highlighted strategies that can be implemented to help the athlete overcome this

issue (Tod, 2011). Coping strategies used are self-talk, imagery, muscular

relaxation, and mindfulness.

Imagery. It is a form of cognitive restructuring. It is a cognitive intervention

technique where an individual uses all of his senses to create or re-create

experiences in his mind (Vealey &Greenleaf, 2001). (Shaw, 2005). Watt, Spittle

and Morris (2002) defined imagery use as the manner in which people imagine

themselves in ways that can lead to learning and developing skills and can

facilitate performance of those skills. Imagery is a part of sport psychology skill

(mental skill), where it effect to athletes to success in their tournament or game.

According to Murphy and Martin (2002), imagery have better relationship between

imagery ability and sport performance. In the field of sports, there have been

many studies on the effectiveness of imagery in reducing competitive anxiety.

Imagery was found to be effective in reducing competitive anxiety, especially in

young athletes aged 12 to 19 years(Bagherpour, Hashim, Saha, &Ghosh, 2012;

Nguyen&Brymer, 2018; VA Parnabas &Mahamood, 2011;V. Parnabas,

Mahamood, Parnabas, 2012 & MeeraAbdullah, 2014; Quinton, Cumming, Allsop,

Gray, &Williams, 2018). Research has found that imagery can build confidence,
motivation and decrease state anxiety levels before and during a game (Shaw,

2005).

Self-talk. Hardy et al. (2005) defined self- talk as a dialogue we have with

ourselves, sometimes spoken, sometimes engaged in internally. Self-talk is often

used to motivate and enhance confidence levels in athletes prior to or during a

sporting situation (Hall, 2009). Much research has focused on the comparisons

between positive and negative self-talk. A series of studies have found that

positive self-talk enhances performance through increases in confidence and

anxiety control.(Hamilton, 2007). 2007). Several studies have shown that self-talk

can overcome competitive anxiety in athletes in the field of sports (Kanniyan,

2015; Georgakaki &Karakasidou, 2017; Hatzigeorgiadis, Galanis, &Theodorakis,

2014; Khabiri, Ali Moghadam Zadeh,Kalash, Asadi, &Mehrsafar , 2018; Lotfi,

Tahmasebi,& Rabavi, 2016; Walter, Nikoleizig, & Alfermann,2019). Whereas

negative self-talk is viewed as being inappropriate and counterproductive (Shaw,

2005). An athlete who is in the early skill acquisition phase will benefit from an

assisted positive self-talk intervention as they will stay motivated for longer,

acquire the skill more rapidly and bring about performance increases

earlier.(Hamilton, 2007).

Progressive muscle relaxation. This strategy was found effective to reduce

anxiety in athletes (Ali, 2015; Bagherpour etal., 2012; Kaur &Singh, 2016;

Navaneethan, Ph, &Soundara, 2010). Research has concluded that this training

method can be implemented to decrease competitive anxiety; thus increasing

athletic performance (Shaw, 2005). Navaneethan suggests practitioners should

arms in golf, the legs in cycling.

Mindfulness. Research results show that effective mindfulness can reduce

competitive anxiety in athletes(Baltzell, Caraballo, Chipman, & Hayden

2014;Gardner &Moore, 2004; Noetel, Zanden, &Lonsdale,2017; Rivera, Quintana,

&Rincón, 2014; Zadkhosh &Hemayattalab, 2019; Permadi & Nurwianti, 2018

(Noetel et al., 2017). Although mindfulness therapy is not intended to reduce

anxiety, it can actually reduce the level of anxiety (Gardner &Moore, 2004). The

Mindfulness skills of athletes are related to their abilities to resolve negative

emotions and increase focus when facing competition, thereby reducing their

level of competitive anxiety (Baltzell, Caraballo,Chipman, & Hayden, 2014). In

addition to neurofeedback, mindfulness proved even more effective in reducing

anxiety in soccer players (Zadkhosh &Hemayattalab, 2018).

Competitive Anxiety

In the growing field of sport psychology, various studies on the effect of

mental toughness, emotions, sadness, and worries on sport and athletics

performance have been conducted. A player may face a wide range of negative

feelings prior to competition which may badly harm the performance. Such pre-

game feeling is called anxiety. Anxiety is perceived as an emotion that is

characterized by anxious feelings, worried thoughts, and physical changes such

as elevated blood pressure. Usually, anxiety is considered an unpleasant

condition in response to perceived stress about the execution of a task under

which athletes experience at all levels of their sports performance (Lundqvist,

2006). According to, Craft, Magyar, and Feltz, (2003) anxiety is a feeling of

unknown stress in an athletes abilities and the results expected from him. Some

levels of anxiety for the competition actually improve the skills and abilities of the

participants (Mottram, 2005). Anxiety is an integral part of the competition and its

adverse effects are prominent in all kinds of athletes (Oureshi, 2015). A study of

anxiety conducted on 15 ballet dancers, proved that the presence of anxiety was

important to increase concentration level and energy in the subjects.

Competitive anxiety arises when the sports expectations are greater than abilities

perceived by the athletes. While a bit of anxiety before a game gives us the push

we need to address challenges, uncontrolled anxiety can damage your ring

performance (Bali, 2015). During sports competitions, most of the players are the

victim of anxiety which may worsen their performance (Farnendez-Fernandez,

2014). In sports competitions where success and failure are involved why some

of the players are unable to maintain their concentration level and may feel

anxiety. The players feel anxious before as well during competitions (Chiariotti, et

al., 2016). Naturally, every fight, combat, and competition has its reaction on the

participant and the effect to that is called anxiety which is reflected in the players.

Anxiety has effects on the players according to their potential and power of

sustainability (Ramis, Viladrich, Sousac & Jannes, 2015).

Competitive anxiety consists of cognitive and somatic subcomponents. The

cognitive component of anxiety arises due to fear of negative evaluations of the

Burton, 1990). The somatic component of anxiety is a physiological response

from these perceptions such as increased heart rate, respiration, and muscle

tension. Physical symptoms arise due to the influence of psychological

symptoms, which then cause anxiety in the athletes before competing in a game

and thus prevent him to show his best performance (Lavallee, Kremer, Moran,

&Williams, 2004)
Interview Question

Interview Guide

1. What are the experiences of athletes in relation to competitive anxiety?

a. Have you experience fear before game? Is it the same feeling of being

threatened?

b. How does fear affect your overall performance?

c. Do you feel any pressure every time the game will start? If yes, what are the

things have you observe in your body? (e.g, increase heart beat, palm sweating,

tight muscles)

d. Do you often feel worry and nervous on the day of your game? What were

your thoughts in that moment?

e. Do all this feelings you’ve experienced makes you difficult to concentrate on

your game? What are the other things that hinder you to execute your

performance well?

2. What are the coping strategies of the athletes in overcoming competitive

anxiety?

a. How do you manage frustrations before and after the game? Do you find it

effective?

b. Do you still able to manage your performance even under pressure or in fear?

How?

c. Have you tried diverting from your worries and fear? In what way?
d. Do you seek support from your coach and co-athletes? What were your

approach to them?

e. Can you describe your personal coping strategies to reduce your competitive

anxiety?

3. What are the insights that they have gained out from their experience?

a. From what you have been through as an athlete, how will you describe the

importance of dealing competitive anxiety?

b. Do you think that experiencing competitive anxiety will also help improve your

performance at some point?

c.

d.

e. What are your advice to young athletes in dealing with competitive anxiety?
Theoretical Lens

Theory on Competitive Anxiety of Athletes