Self-confidence In Young Puerto Rican Athletes: A Comparison Across Sports And Genders

BACKGROUND: Self-confidence is one of the fundamental psychological variables that influence sports performance, and it is paramount in the athlete's success. On the contrary, the absence of self-confidence could interfere with the athlete’s skills acquisition, execution, performance, reactions during competition and achievements. Understanding athletes' trait and state self confidence levels promotes the use of psychological skills and strategies to enhance positive youth development in sports. There is limited data in Puerto Rico regarding the psychological characteristics of young athletes. PURPOSE: To examine trait and state self-confidence levels and differences between genders in young athletes across multiple sports. METHODS: Scores on the Trait Self Confidence Inventory (TSCI) and the State Self Confidence Inventory (SSCI) were analyzed for 118 youth athletes (ages 10-19), competing in different Puerto Rico sports leagues. RESULTS: Participants competed predominantly in Tennis (n=47), Golf (n=17), Badminton (n=16), and seven other sports (n=38). For all athletes, mean trait self-confidence was 73.4 (SD = 18.5, range 13-117) and mean state self-confidence was 74.8 (SD = 19.3, range 13-117). An independent samples t-test indicated no significant difference between females (n = 61, M = 71.0, SD = 18.6) and males (n = 57, M = 76.3, SD = 18.1) on trait self-confidence, t (116) = -1.63, p = .106. Similarly, no significant gender difference was found for state self-confidence, t (116) = -0.48, p = .635. A one-way ANOVA showed no significant trait self-confidence differences across sports, F (3, 114) = 1.76, p = .159. Similarly, no state self-confidence differences were found across sports, F (3, 114) = .47, p = .704. CONCLUSION: Trait and state self-confidence levels were moderate for these young athletes, with no differences between genders and sports. Fostering optimal self-confidence by integrating psychological skills during sport training sessions should be an aim for athletes across sports.