Edith Cowan University Research Online Theses: Doctorates and Masters Theses 1-1-1992 Performance attributes of talented schoolboy Australian Rules Football players Philip R. Badock Edith Cowan University Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses Part of the Sports Studies Commons Recommended Citation Badock, P. R. (1992). Performance attributes of talented schoolboy Australian Rules Football players. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1139 This Thesis is posted at Research Online. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1139 Edith Cowan University Copyright Warning You may print or download ONE copy of this document for the purpose of your own research or study. The University does not authorize you to copy, communicate or otherwise make available electronically to any other person any copyright material contained on this site. You are reminded of the following: Copyright owners are entitled to take legal action against persons who infringe their copyright. A reproduction of material that is protected by copyright may be a copyright infringement. Where the reproduction of such material is done without attribution of authorship, with false attribution of authorship or the authorship is treated in a derogatory manner, this may be a breach of the author’s moral rights contained in Part IX of the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Courts have the power to impose a wide range of civil and criminal sanctions for infringement of copyright, infringement of moral rights and other offences under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Higher penalties may apply, and higher damages may be awarded, for offences and infringements involving the conversion of material into digital or electronic form. USE OF THESIS The Use of Thesis statement is not included in this version of the thesis. PERFORMANCE ATIRIBUTES OF TALENTED SCHOOLBOY AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL PLAYERS BY PHILIP R. BADOCK Graduate Diploma in Physical and Health Education CW A College of Advanced Education) Post Graduate Diploma in Educational Studies 0N A College of Advanced Education) A Thesis submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of Master of Education at the Faculty of Education Edith Cowan University Dated of Submission: November-1993 ABSTRAIT 11Ie' purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between selected psychological characteristics and performance of a group of talented young Australian Rules football playors. The study group consisted of 50 of the best identified schoolboy 15 year old Australian Rules football players in Western Australia. From this group 25 boys were selected to represent Western Australia at the Australian School Sports Council National Football Championships. The selected psychological characteristics were competitive anxiety (trait and state), competitive sport orientation (competitiveness, win and goal orientation) and sport confidence (trait and state). Performance was measured, first, by the selection or non selection of the player in the final team and second, by a high or low performance rating at the completion of the championships. Psychological characteristics of those players who were selected in the team were compared with those who did not mz.ke the team in an attempt to identify those characteristics that related to successful team selection. A further comparison of psychological characteristics and performance levels at the completion of the championships was made to detenninc any common characteristics that identify the higher performing players and possibly to identify predictors of successful performance which could assist wirh the selection process of other similar groups. The results did not indicate any significant relationships between the selected psychological characteristics of competitive sport orientation, compctititive sport anxiety and sport confidence. Nor did the results indicate any relationship between the selected characteristics and the performance of the study group. i The ·,results did show however, significant differences between the perceptions of perfonnance as rated by the players themselves and the rati"ags by the coach, manager, teammates and other independent observer. In every perfonnance rating measure, factor loadings clearly showed that player self- assessments of performance was highly inconsistent with the assessments of the other assessors. This potential area of research may be of significant value in that the player's perception of his performance is not consistent and at variance with the views of the coach and of his teammates. ,; ii '-, ,-" DECLARATION "I certify that this thesis does not incorporate without acknowledgement any material previously submitted for a degree or dipioma in any institution of higher education; and that to the best of my knowledge and belief it does nat contain any material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in the text. 11 Signature Date ............ .J..Qjt.lj.~.l ............... iii '>'' ':. _. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am particularly indebted to my supervisor, Dr Jenny Browne, Associate Professor of Physical Education at F..dith Cowan University. Her advice and encouragement, cajoling and persistence has enabled me to proceed to this level of scholarship. I would also like to thank Ms Amanda Blackmore for her invaluable advice and assistance in the use of the SAS statistical package. Thank you also to Mr Ian Temby, Executive Officer of the Western Australian School Sport Association for the approval of the study and especially to the coach, Mr Adrian Scott and manager, Mr Graerne Hadley for allowing me the time to survey the group in their limited schedule. Finally, I wish to thank the boys who answered tl.e questionnaires and performance rating honestly and thoughtfully. To my wife Julie for her understanding, support and encouragement, thank you. Now we have our dining room back. iv \, TABLE OF CONTENTS ABS'I'R.ACf . i DEClARATION ...................... '· . • . iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............... ) . • . iv ~ LIST OF TABLES . v LIST OF FiGURES ............. , . vi CHAP1ER 1. INTRODUCTION . 1 Background .............................. ;• . 1 Purpose of the Study . ... : . 4 Objectives . .......... , . 5 Definition of Terms . .................. · 7 Significance of the Study . • . 9 . limitations of the Study . 10 • 2. REVIEW OF TilE LI1ERATURE 11 Psychological Characteristics and Successful Athletes . 11 Competition and Competitiveness . 14 ·· The competition process ....... ,. 14 The development of competitiveness . 18 Competitive Anxiety . 20 Sport Confidence . 27 Using Psychological Tests . .30 ,, ,., I,•, ·- 3. DESIGN OF TilE STUDY . 32 ;'• Method ............... ·. .. 32 Population ................................. ~ . 33 Instruments ...............•...... : . 35 Procedure . 37 4. RESULTS . 40 Team Selection: Correlations Among Measures . 41 Player Performance . 49 5. DISCUSSION OF RESULTS . 54 Summary of Results . 54 Relationships Among Measures ............ ·. 54 Performance Measures . 57 6. CONCLUSION . • . 59 Major Findings . 59 Further Research . 60 REFERENCES . 62 APPENDICES Appendix A Football Survey Section 1: Sport Orientation Questionnaire (SOQ) Section 2: Sport Competition Anxiety Test (SCA1) Section 3: Trait Sport Confidence loventory (TSCI) Appendix B Section 1: Competitive State Anxiety loventory - 2 (CSAI-2) Section 2: State Sport Confidence loventory (SSCI) Appendix C Rating of Football Performance LIST OF TABLES TABLE I. Means and.standard deviations of variable components 41 2. Correlation between variable components of competitive sport orientation, competitive anxiety and sport confidence 43 3. Correlation between competitive sport orientation and team selection . 45 4. Correlation between trait and state anxiety and team selection . 46 5. Correlation between competitive sport orientation and sport confidence .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 48 6. Correlation between SP".rt: confidence and competitive anxiety 49 7. Factor analysis of skill performance rating 50 8. Factor analysis of leadership performance rating . ·51 9. Factor analysis of overall performance rating . 51 10. Correlation between performance and psychological variables 52 !i \~ v ' jl ' UST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1. Interrelationships between selected psychological characteriStics and performance . • . 3 2. Martens' model of the competition process ............ --. 16 3. Competitive trait anxiety as a mediator between competitive stimulus and response . 22 4. The relationship between arousal and sports performance· ........... · 26 5. The relationship between self-confidence and performance ...... , . 30 - 6. The selection process for the Western Australian State Schoolboys Under 16 Years Australian Rules Football Team ................. , 34 I• ii vi CHAPfERl INTRODUCI'ION Background In high level sporting competition, athletes are continually examining ways to improve their performance. For a footballer to reach his maximum potential he needs to possess a high skill and fitness level and certain psychological characteristics. In Australian Rules Football, it is possible for the coach to test the player's skill and fitness to identify various strengths and weaknesses (Dav~y 1977}. Similarly, there are ways to measure aspects of his psychological make-up. Measurements may reveal an aspect of the player's psychological make-up which when treated could produce a higher level of performance. Such information could assist the coach with a knowledge of the individual differences