The Effect of 12-Week Psychological Skills Training on Coping Skills and Performance Strategies in High School Volleyball Players

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the effect of Psychological Skills Training (PST), which includes goal setting, imagery, relaxation, and self-talk, on high school volleyball team players in terms of athletes’ ability to cope with sportive problems and selected performance strategies. The study groups for this research were determined in two steps. In the first step, high schools in Mersin's central districts and those carrying out educational activities with the same curriculum were reviewed so that the study groups would have similar characteristics. With the purposeful sampling method, nine Anatolian High schools located in non-vocational Anatolian type-high schools and preparing for competitions in volleyball, a young female category was determined, and two of these high schools were suitable for the study. In the second step, two high school teams were assigned as experimental groups (n = 14) and control groups (n = 14) by drawing lots. The mean ages of the participants were 14.93 (SD = .730) and 15.14 (SD = .770) for the experimental and control groups, respectively. The Personal Information Form, Coping Scale with Sports Problems (ACSI-28), and Performance Strategies Test (TOPS) were used as data collection tools. In the data analysis, a two-factor ANOVA test was used for mixed measurements. As a result, it was found that PST carried out in the school environment has no effect on athletes' ability to cope with sports problems or performance strategies other than imagery in training.