Psycho-emotional Regulation of Female Handball Players During Training

The article presents the results of an experimental study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of an original program for harmonizing the psycho-emotional state of adolescent female handball players at the stage of preliminary basic training. The relevance of the research is due to the growing demands for emotional resilience in female athletes involved in team sports, where competitive performance largely depends on volitional regulation, anxiety levels, and the ability to manage emotions. The study involved 28 handball players from the main and reserve squads of the “Halychanka” club, who were divided into an experimental group (n=14) and a control group (n=14). The program for the experimental group combined traditional training loads with psychophysiological exercises, breathing relaxation techniques, visualization practices, cognitive-behavioral training, and individualized pedagogical support. The applied methods included the SAN questionnaire, the Spielberger–Khanin anxiety test, pedagogical observation, and statistical data analysis. The results showed statistically significant improvements in the experimental group: increases in well-being, activity, and mood indicators (up to 38%), as well as reductions in reactive and trait anxiety (by more than 8 points). The control group showed only minimal and statistically insignificant positive changes. The findings confirm the feasibility of implementing the proposed program in the training process of team sports athletes. Future research should focus on enhancing the program with consideration of individual psychophysiological profiles, testing it in various age groups, and exploring the long-term effects on athletes’ adaptive capacities.