UNDERSTANDING SPORTS STRESS IN ADOLESCENTS THROUGH GENDER AND SOCIAL INTERACTION LENSES

This study investigated prosocial behaviour and gender as predictors of coping strategies in response to sports-related stress among adolescents in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. The sample consisted of 640 adolescent athletes (240 males and 200 females), aged 12 to 17 years (M = 14.06, SD = 4.79), using a cross-sectional design. Data were collected using two standardized instruments. Hierarchical Multiple Regression analysis revealed that prosocial behaviour significantly predicted the use of adaptive coping strategies (β = 2.02, t = 1.12, p < .05), but not maladaptive ones. Specifically, prosocial behaviour toward teammates (β = 1.43, t = 1.15, p < .05) was a significant predictor of adaptive coping, while prosocial behaviour toward opponents did not predict maladaptive coping. Gender did not significantly predict adaptive coping but was a significant predictor of maladaptive coping (β = -0.09, t = -2.22, p < .05), indicating that gender differences influence how adolescents cope with sports stress maladaptively. The study highlights the importance of fostering prosocial behaviour in sports settings and recommends further research into gender-specific interventions for managing stress among adolescent athletes.