Anxiety, Sleep, And Movement Mobility In Division II Women's Soccer Student-Athletes: Offensive Vs. Defensive Players

Competing as a Division II Women’s soccer athlete (D2WSA) can be physically and psychologically demanding. Mobility, balance, stability, sleep, and anxiety may potentially impact success and differ by position played. PURPOSE: The purpose of this research was to compare anxiety, amount of sleep, and movement mobility in offensive (O) vs. defensive (D) D2WSAs. METHODS: After IRB approval, nine O and nine D D2WSAs (mean age = 19 yr.) completed a demographic questionnaire that included some general questions on sleep habits and the Sport Anxiety Survey-2 (SAS-2). D2WSAs also completed the Functional Movement Screen® (FMS). The FMS has been frequently used as a screening tool that provides general information on movement mobility, balance, and stability. SAS-2 and FMS scores of O and D players (including goalies) were compared using two-sample independent t-tests. RESULTS: D2WSAs reported sleeping an average of 7.4 hours per night with 90% of them using light-emitting technology (LET) in the hour leading up to going to sleep (lap-top, phone, etc.). ​No differences in overall FMS scores were found between O and D players (p = O.131). However, there was a significant difference between O and D players in Sport Anxiety. The mean SAS-2 overall score for O players was 25.4 and mean for D players was 34.2 (p = 0.012). Moreover, D players scored higher than the O players on the three SAS-2 subscales, with a range on the three sub-scales of p = 0.014 - 0.069, with the largest difference observed in the Concentration Disruption (CD) sub-scale. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicated no physical differences as measured by FMS; additionally, O and D D2WSAs reported similar exercise and sleep habits. Almost all D2WSAs used LET prior to bedtime. Education on how the use of LET may impact sleep quality/quantity may be of value. The SAS-2 scores revealed significant psychological differences between O and D. Previous research indicates that higher CD is a predictor of poor game performance. Counseling/mental health support may be a greater concern for players on the D side of the pitch. The study’s limitations included a small sample size and being conducted at a single university. More research is needed to determine if D2WSAs that are recruited to play D positions begin playing with higher sport anxiety or if this anxiety is developed while competing as a D2WSA.