Funding informationDanish FA (DBU) Elite football can make players feel nervous, and personality characteristics, as well as experience, affect how well pressure is handled before important games.Studying the psychological characteristics of female football players can provide information on how well psychological pressure is handled and generate knowledge on how to support players in order to improve performance. Based on a sample of 128 female elite football players from 8 top-level teams, the present study investigates whether psychological characteristics and football experience/player stus in elite female football players can predict state anxiety before important matches. Our results outline that high age and national team experience negatively predicted most of the trait anxiety subscales. In line with previous research, no psychological differences were found between goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and strikers while starting players revealed to have significantly lower trait anxiety. When measuring before important matches, we found that somatic state anxiety was negatively associated with senior national team experience and positively associated with worry trait anxiety and fear of failure. Cognitive state anxiety was negatively associated with hope for success and positively associated with somatic and worry trait anxiety.Self-confidence was positively associated with youth national team experience and negatively associated with worry trait anxiety. It can be concluded that psychological characteristics and national team experience are both important for optimal state anxiety before important matches in elite-level women's football. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
Introduction: While exercise after breast cancer treatment is important, some breast cancer survivors (BCS) find it difficult to maintain motivation for physical activity (PA). Objectives: To investigate Danish female BCS’ motivation to play Football Fitness (FF) after the termination of a research project (Football Fitness After Breast Cancer), and whether the participation influenced occupational identity and adaptation. Methods: Two qualitative focus group interviews with seven female BCS (53 ± 5 years; Mage ± SD) were performed. The interviews were analyzed to identify the forms of motivation experienced according to Self-Determination Theory using thematic analysis. Results: Due to increasing connections and recognition of one another, FF gradually became meaningful and a part of the women’s occupational identity. They experienced increasing cohesion and competence through common experiences, thus increasingly identifying as a unit. The women reported that they gradually adopted healthier lifestyles by participating in FF, which positively impacted other diagnoses for some. Conclusion: Recognition of one another impacted intrinsic motivation. Similarly, as the women felt more competent playing FF, it became a part of their occupational identity leading to an effective adaptation. Access to FF as an integral part of rehabilitation for female BCS may be a way to support long-term PA and to adapt a new occupational identity.
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