Effects of Hostile and Favorable Audience on Performance of High and Low Skilled Basketball Players

The Impact of Audience and Coaching on the Performance of Basketball Players

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was effects of hostileand favorable audience on performance of high and low skilled basketballplayers. Sixty basketball players of Lakshmibai National College of PhysicalEducation, Gwalior and twenty basketball players of Indian Military who werealso trained at the college were selected as subjects for this study. Thefollowing standardized basketball skill tests were selected as criterionmeasures: (i) Free throw test: To measure shooting ability. Total Fifteentrials were given. (ii) Dribbling test: To assess dribbling ability. Total number of zones covered in 30 sec.The above selected skill tests were conducted in isolated condition. The scoresobtained during the isolated condition were recorded and served as initialperformance of the players. On the basis of composite scores, the players weredivided into high and low skilled groups. The high and low skilled players wereagain tested in the above two tests under two hundred and fifty favorable andtwo hundred and fifty hostile audience on the same playground with sameequipments. Each Group = N- 16 players. Presence of coach also acts as strongsource of motivation in improving skill performance in basketball. Presence ofcoach proves to be a better motivating factor in improving the skillperformance in basketball in comparison to presence of spectators.