The Influence of Junior Golfers’ Willingness to Accept Training Stress on Failure Tolerance: The Mediating Effect of Servant Leadership

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of junior golfers’ willingness to accept training stress on failure tolerance, focusing on the mediating role of servant leadership. A structured survey was conducted with 193 junior golfers from the Seoul and Gyeonggi regions. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability tests, exploratory factor analysis, multiple regression, and mediation analysis. The results showed that willingness to accept training stress was positively associated with servant leadership, which in turn significantly enhanced failure tolerance. Furthermore, willingness to accept training stress had a significant direct effect on failure tolerance, while the indirect effect mediated by servant leadership was also significant. These findings suggest that athletes who actively accept training stress are more likely to develop psychological resilience and perceive failure as a challenge when guided by servant leadership. This study contributes to understanding the interplay between leadership and psychological factors in youth sport settings and provides practical insights for coaching strategies and athlete development programs.