Pre-Competition Anxiety and In-Competition Coping in Experienced Male Swimmers

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to explore relationships between pre-competition anxiety and in-competition coping in swimmers. Thirty nine male swimmers with international competitive experience participated in the study (mean age 19.72 years; mean competitive experience 9.36 years). Participants completed a short measure of anxiety intensity and direction before the start of their event and a coping questionnaire after the completion of their event. Correlation analysis showed that intensity of cognitive anxiety had low to moderate negative correlations with approach coping strategies, and low to moderate positive relationships with avoidance coping strategies. Furthermore, somatic anxiety intensity had low to moderate positive relationships with avoidance strategies. Finally analysis of variance revealed that swimmers perceiving their anxiety states as facilitative reported more approach and less avoidance coping strategies than swimmers perceiving their anxiety states as debilitative. In accordance with previous evidence from the sport anxiety literature the results suggest that facilitative perceptions of anxiety symptoms relate to more adaptive cognitive and behavioural outcomes. Coaches should therefore place emphasis on not only the regulation of anxiety intensity, but also the way swimmers perceive anxiety symptoms