Effects of Psychological Skill Training on Motivation and Anxiety Among Male U-17 Project Football Players

Psychological skills training program is effective in enhancing athletes’ performance, positively influencing cognitive and affective states. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Psychological skill training on motivations and anxiety of psychological variables of male Under 17 football project players. The methodology of the study employed an experimental research design. Thirty (30) male football player participants in the study were selected for the football project. The study subjects were randomly divided into two equal groups, the experimental group (n = 15) and the control group (n = 15). The experimental group had taken Psychological skill training intervention for 8 weeks with 3 sessions per week. Both groups had taken pre-post test and all the subjects participated to standard questionnaires. Motivation was measured using the Sport Motivation Scale (SMS-28) and anxiety was measured using state-trait anxiety inventory test. The data collected from the study subjects was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS, version 25) software by descriptive and inferential statistics, at a significant level of 0.05. Results showed Psychological skill training significantly improved the stated variables motivations and anxiety in the experimental group at (p<0.05). Furthermore, no more significant differences were found in both of the variables in the control group (p>0.05). Based on this finding, it can be concluded that Psychological skill training has a positive impact on the improvement of motivations and anxiety of psychological variables. Therefore, Psychological skill training is suggested for adolescent-age football players to improve psychological preparedness for athletic performance.