RELATIONSHIP AMONGST SPORTS CONFIDENCE AND SPORTS ANXIETY IN YOUNG ADULTS WITH COPING SKILLS AS MODERATOR

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between sports anxiety and sports confi- dence among young adults, with coping skills as a moderating factor. A total of 280 par- ticipants of age 16-25 were assessed using The Sport Anxiety Scale-2 (Smith et al., 2006), The "Sources of Sport Confidence Inventory" (SSCI) is a tool designed by (R.S. Vealey et al., 1998), and The Athletic Coping Skills Inventory 28 (“ACSI-28”). Data analysis, conducted via SPSS, supported two of the three hypotheses. As results revealed that a weak and positive correlation exists between sports anxiety and sports confidence (r = .08), a weak negative correlation with sports anxiety (r = -.27), a moderate positive correlation between sports confidence and athletic coping (r = .45), and a significant moderately positive relationship between sports anxiety and sports confidence, with coping demonstrating a significant moderating effect (p = .04). These findings under- score the critical role of coping skills in managing sports anxiety and provide insights for mental health interventions and coaching strategies to support young athletes' devel- opment.