A Study of Anxiety Level of Sportsmen

Games and Sports are becoming important day by day. Now – a- days, these are taking the shape of a profession. So, it has become necessary to investigate the factors that affect the sports performance. There are many factors which enhance the learning in the field of sports and there are many other such factors which slow down the process of learning. These factors are generally involved in the physiological or mental conditions of the individuals like anxiety, time of day, temperature, effect of drugs etc. If these factors are not properly controlled, these can affect the performance in a negative way. But, if these are properly managed then they become helpful elements in learning. So, it is necessary to understand their effect on the performance and learning process. Anxiety is considered as a block to sports activities. A person who suffers from anxiety may not be able to devote his full energy in the performance of sports. It is, therefore, considered by means scholars that anxiety interferes in sports performance. This notion is however, based on an errorneour understanding of the role of anxiety. In fact, anxiety might deter learning or performance or might also stimulate it. Anxiety has been defined in a variety of ways, such as “A distributed state of the body” (Johnson, 1951) ; “Emotional reactivity” (Hardman and Johnson, 1952) ; “Unrealistic and unpleasant state of body and mind” (Pikunar , 1969) ; “Nervousness” (Ekegami, 1970). In medical terminology, anxiety is defined as “appreciation of danger accompanied by restlessness and a family of appression in the epigastrium”. Some physiological reactions such as sweating, drying of the mouth , rapid shallow breathing and dizziness , increased heart- beat and mental tension are associated with anxiety .

The following are the objectives of the study : 1. To study the pre competitive anxiety level of individual games and team games. 2. To compare the pre competitive anxiety level between handball players and swimmers. 3. To compare the pre competitive anxiety level between handball players and cyclists. 4. To compare the pre competitive anxiety level between softball players and swimmers. 5. To compare the pre competitive anxiety level between softball players and cyclists. 6. To compare the pre competitive anxiety level between handball players and softball players. 7. To compare the pre competitive anxiety level between swimmers and cyclists.

The anxiety response is a complex emotion that produces physiological changes to prepare us for fight or flight to defend ourselves from the threat or flee from it was quoted by Walter-Cannon (1932). Keeley and Harcourt (2001) in their study “Occupational Anxiety: A Study of the New Zealand and Reserve Bank” revealed that stress is caused by heavy work demands in the job itself, which the unskilled employee with little control over how the work is done, cannot adapt to or modify.

To make comparative study of anxiety level of sportsmen of individual who participated in inter-college and tem games tournaments held at K.U.K. dated – 03.09.2012 to 21.11.2012. 60 players under 25 years age – group were taken as sample. This sample consists of players of two team games , namely softball (15 players) and Handball (15 players) and two individual games namely Swimming (15 players) and Cyclists (15 players) for the collection of the primary data. The investigator used the sports competition anxiety test of (adult form) of Rainer martens (1977) to measure trait anxiety. This test consists of 15 statements which ask players to respond how usually they feel when they are competing in sports and games. The inventory has no time – limit, normally , 5 minutes is required for its completion. Primary data was collected. The data was collected 1 hour before each competition. They were asked to sit for 3 minutes to cool down. Then necessary instructions were given before presenting the questionnaire to subjects. Same procedure was followed every time. The schedule of competition is as follows:

In a form of SCAT , all the 15 test items are rated on 3 points scale by the subjects , viz 1. Never 2. Sometimes 3. Always. The 10 test items (2,3,5,6,8,9,11,12,14,15) are scored according to the following directions , whereas the spurious items (1,4,7,10,13) are not scored. I point for never , 2 points for sometimes , 3 points for always. Scoring for items 6 and 11 is reversed according to the following keys I point for always ; 2 points for sometimes , 3 points for never. Thus , the range of possible SCAT score extends from 10 to 30.

The obtained data were analyzed by applying the statistical techniques mean standard deviation and T-ratio.

It can be observed from Table mean pre- competition anxiety scores of swimming (individual event) is 17.33 and SD is 2.41 which generally shows the anxiety level is average in swimmers of individual games. Mean score of cycling (individual event) is 18.60 with SD 3.18. In general, players of this individual event have little above to average anxiety level. In case of Handball (team games) mean score of anxiety is 16.87 with the SD of 2.28 , which again shows that level of anxiety is average . Mean anxiety of Softball (team games) is 19.28 with SD of 3.02 ; which shows that these players have above average anxiety level. In general, it can be concluded that players of cycling and softball have above average anxiety level and the players of swimming and handball have average anxiety level. But, the mean value of anxiety level in

It is clear from the table that mean scores of swimming (individual event) and Handball (Team Game) players are found to be 17.33 and 16.87 respectively with SD of 2.41 and 2.28. So , we can say that swimming and handball players do not differ significantly in their level of anxiety. So the hypothesis that there does it.

It can be observed from the table that mean scores of handball (team game) and cycling (individual games) are 16.87 and 18.6 with standard deviation of 2.28 and 3.18 respectively. The t-ratio comes out to be 1.72. Since the t-ratio is less than the table value at 0.5 level of significance , the difference between mean scores is insignificant. Hence, the hypothesis that there does not exist a significance difference. Handball players and

From the table , it can be seen that the mean scores of cycling (team game) and handball (individual games) are 18.6 and 19.27 with standard deviation of 3.18 and 3.02 respectively. It has standard error value of 1.33 and t-ratio comes out to be 0.59. As the t-ratio is less than the table value at 0.5 level of significance (1.96) , the difference in mean scores of cycling and softball players are not significant or it cannot be said that cycling and softball players do not differ in respect of their pre-competition anxiety level . Hence, the hypothesis that there does not exist a significance difference in anxiety level of softball players and cycling players is retained. The players irrespective of their different games have same level of anxiety level.

It can be observed from the table that mean scores of anxiety of softball (team game) and swimming (individual games) players came out to be 19.27 and 17.33 with standard deviation of 3.02 and 2.41 respectively. The t-value came out to be 1.94. anxiety is not significant. The hypothesis that Softball players and swimming players do not differ from the level of their mean anxiety is retained.

It can be found from the table that the mean scores of pre-competition anxiety of handball (team game) and Softball (individual games) players are 16.87 and 19.27 with standard deviation of 2.28 and 3.02 respectively. The t-ratio for handball and softball players comes out to be 2.47. Since t-value is more than the table value of significance at 0.5 level of significance . The difference between the mean scores is significant. In other words, we can say that handball and softball players differ in respect of their pre-competition anxiety level . Hence our hypothesis that the players of both the team games do not differ in respect of their anxiety is rejected.

Means ; SD and t-ratio between Swimming players and Cycling Players. It can be seen from the table that mean scores of cycling (individual game) and swimming (individual games) players are 18.6 and 17.33 with standard deviation of 3.18 and 2.41 respectively. The t-value is 1.23. Since the t-value is less than the table value at 0.05 level of significance , the difference in the mean scores is insignificant. Hence , the hypothesis that there does anxiety is retained.

It is crystal clear that there is a positive and significant relationship between anxiety and the practices of yoga & meditation. It is moral responsibility of the organizations to implement upon such practices that would surely build right attitude and outlook of the problems at the work place to the employees. Anxiety can be minimized if companies take the right initiatives at right time in right direction. Anxiety –free employees perform better, work harder, happier and are more committed to the organization as compared to their counterparts.

These can be summed up as under:- 1. In general, players of different games do not differ in the level of pre-competition anxiety. 2. There is not found significant difference in the level of pre-competition anxiety level between Handball and Swimming Players. 3. Handball and Cycling players do not differ in the level of their pre-competition anxiety. 4. There does not exist significant difference in level of the pre-competition anxiety between softball and swimming players. 5. Softball players and cycling players do not differ in the level of their pre-competition anxiety. 6. Handball and softball Players differ significantly in the level of pre-competition anxiety. 7. Cycling Players and swimmers of individual games also do not differ in the level of pre-competition anxiety undertaken.

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Name _____________________________________ Age ________________________________ Sex (Male/Female) __________________________Game_______________________________ State to which you belong _________________________________ Date ____________________ Level of participation ____________________________________________________________ Experience of participation in game/sport____________________________________________ DIRECTIONS:- Below are some statements about how persons feel when they compete in sports and games. Read each statement and decide if you had these feelings never or always when you compete in sports and Games. If your choice is never cross. “A” if your choice is sometimes cross “B” and if your choice is “C”. There are no right or wrong answers. Do not spend too much time on any statement. Remember to choose the word that describes how you usually feel when competing in Sports and Game.