Does the psychological profile influence the position of promising young futsal players?

Abstract

Stress control as well as other psychological characteristics influence sports performance (SP) and could be relevant according to the playing position in team sports, such as the futsal where players have different specific functions within the team. The aim of this study was to analyze the psychological characteristics and profile related to SP of top-level young futsal players, according to the offensive or defensive role. A total of one hundred sixty-seven young promises futsal players participated in this study (84 U16 and 83 U19) and have been chosen to play Championship of Spain Selections. The Psychological Characteristics related to SP for soccer players Questionnaire was used, and one-way ANOVA test was performed based on the playing position (goalkeeper, defender and defender-wing, wing and wing-defender, pivot and wing-pivot, and universal). Results showed that goalkeepers had the best psychological profile and characteristics related to SP. Pivots and wing-pivots had less self-confidence, and universals players, less stress control in relation to the rest of the playing positions (p < 0.05). The main findings revealed that the psychological characteristics and profile related to SP in young promises futsal players are different according to the playing position, and this study suggest the inclusion of psychological-training programs in order to improve the psychological abilities of players, especially for players with offensive role who seek to score goals.

Comparison of IQ, EI, Sports Performance, and Psychological Characteristics of Young Male Soccer Players in Different Playing Positions

“…In line with our results, a previous study reported that forwards demonstrated the highest scores values in some psychological skills such as motivation, activation, and confidence when compared to the midfielders and defenders (7). Another study on young futsal players also showed that the psychological features are different in relation to the playing position (21).…”

“…This subject will be an important field of research, as demands placed upon players vary according to the playing position. There is evidence that players in different playing positions tend to have different psychological skill levels (7,21). Therefore, evaluating personality traits is a reliable approach for studying the effect of the psychological factors on sports performance.…”

Associations Between Variations in Accumulated Workload and Physiological Variables in Young Male Soccer Players Over the Course of a Season

“…Accordingly, it is necessary to better understand potential interference effects of concurrently performed power and endurance training to optimize players’ physiological adaptations over the soccer season using individualized training load data. Indeed, this knowledge could be helpful to short- and long-term coaching decision-making ( Barker and Armstrong, 2010 ; Álvarez-Kurogi et al, 2019 ).…”

Psychological Profile in Female Cyclists and Its Relationship with Age, Training Parameters, Sport Performance, and Injury Incidence

“…According to previous studies, athletes show adequate levels of motivation, stress control or acceptance of external evaluation, but the margin for improvement is large [ 8 , 9 ]. Psychological training programs that are appropriate to the athlete’s characteristics have been implemented and have obtained favorable results in the control of competitive anxiety, emotional control, attentional control, and flow state as well as a decrease in pessimism and anxiety when confronted with sport situations [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ].…”

“…Psychological training programs that are appropriate to the athlete’s characteristics have been implemented and have obtained favorable results in the control of competitive anxiety, emotional control, attentional control, and flow state as well as a decrease in pessimism and anxiety when confronted with sport situations [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. However, not all psychological interventions are similar for all athletes, since each athlete has a different psychological profile that depends largely on the sport modality, sport category, playing position, and age [ 8 , 14 , 15 ].…”