APPRAISE THE DISTINCTIONS IN MENTAL SKILLS AMONG ATHLETES ENGAGED IN OPEN-ENDED VERSUS CLOSED-ENDED SKILLS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL PROBE

Study Aim: Aim of this study was to find out the differences of Mental Skills among athletes engaged in Open-Ended versus Closed-Ended Skills sports. Material and Methods: A total of one hundred one male participants (N=111), aged between 18 and 25, from universities located in the northern state of Indian, took part in the study. Furthermore, these participants were categorized into the following groups. Group-A: [Open-Ended Sports; N1=66]and Group-B: [Closed-Ended Sports; N2=45]. The Mental Skills Questionnaire developed by Hardy and Nelson (1996) is intended for gathering data on the mental skills engaged in Open-Ended versus Closed-Ended Skills sports. Statistical Techniques: A comparison of the two means was carried out using an unpaired 't'-test. All calculations and statistical analyses were performed utilizing SPSS 27. The threshold for significance in hypothesis testing was established at 0.05. Results: Results revealed that the means are not significantly different at p < 0.05 with regards to variable mental skills (0.2846<1.984) (viz., Imagery Ability; 0.2999<1.984, Mental Preparation; 0.4638<1.984, Self Confidence; 0.2036<1.984, Anxiety and Worry Management; 0.0715<1.984, Concentration Ability; 0.8367<1.984 and Relaxation Ability; 0.6651<1.984.