Psychological Characteristics of Developing Competence in Children Playing Sports
Chapter from the book:
Şenel,
E.
(ed.)
2023.
Current Approaches in Sport and Exercise Psychology.
Synopsis
The aim of this section is to emphasize the critical role of sports psychology in discovering and developing young talents in various sports disciplines. It is acknowledged that achieving peak performance in sports involves not only technical and physical attributes but also the development of psychological characteristics. Studies in the field have revealed that psychological traits, such as goal-setting, self-organization, self-awareness, and other adaptive abilities, play a pivotal role in the developmental processes of athletes, particularly from a young age.Numerous research works have highlighted the impact of psychological factors on athletes' performance. However, it is evident that specific psychological traits may vary individually and evolve throughout athletes' developmental stages. For instance, the psychological factors that successful athletes possess may differ from those of less successful ones, thereby influencing their performance positively or negatively. Hence, it is crucial to assess and analyze the psychological characteristics of athlete talents from early ages for the long-term success of sports. Nevertheless, there is a scarcity of tools to measure psychological traits in young athletes. Existing scales encompass factors like performance anxiety, seeking social support, imagery, response to failure, and self-management, providing valuable insights into athletes' developmental processes.