Effect of Meditation on Mental Toughness and Sports Competitive Anxiety among Pickle Ball Players

Abstract: The primary objective of this study was to examine the impact of meditation on mental toughness and sports competitive anxiety in Pickle Ball players from Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University (Dr. BAMU), CSN. For this purpose, 20 male Pickle Ball players, aged between 18 and 25 years, were randomly selected as participants. The Mental Toughness Questionnaire (MTQ48) by Dr. Alan Goldberg was used to measure mental toughness, and scores were recorded numerically. To assess sports competitive anxiety, the Sports Competitive Anxiety Questionnaire by Heinssen, Glass, & Knight (1987) was administered, with scores noted down in numbers. To evaluate the effect of meditation on both mental toughness and sports anxiety, independent and dependent t-tests were applied separately for each variable, with the significance level set at 0.05. The statistical analysis revealed that a six-week meditation program significantly enhanced mental toughness and reduced sports competitive anxiety in the Pickle Ball players.