STARTING FEAR AND PHOBIA IN SWIMMING CHILDREN

Abstract

The aim of the study was to present the relationship between the experience of competition phobia and the sense of optimism in children practicing sport swimming. In my work, I conducted research, which was also aimed at checking the relationship between the age of the surveyed players and their gender. I used two tests for the study. The first was the Pre-Start Mobilization Test, the second was the Attribution Style Questionnaire. Both tests were carried out on a group of 23 swimmers aged 13 to 14 (14 girls and 9 boys), who train sports swimming at the AQUA Bydogoszcz club. The tests were carried out during the start in the swimming competition as part of the League of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship. The questionnaires were completed by each competitor immediately before the start. The obtained test results indicate that there are dependencies between the experience of starting phobia and the sense of optimism as well as the age and gender of the respondents. When analyzing the results of the tests carried out, the following conclusions can be drawn: 1. Contestants who used an optimistic attribution style experienced a phobia of starting more. 2. The surveyed boys experience starting phobia less than girls. 3. The surveyed girls have a more optimistic attribution style than boys. 4. With the age of the respondents, the level of the feeling of starting phobia decreases. 5. The level of optimism increases with the age of the respondents. Analyzing the results, we can conclude that there is a relationship between the attribution style and the experience of starting phobia. Among the respondents, the number of optimists prevailed – 56%, and the largest number, as much as 60% of the respondents, experienced the state of pre-competition fever. The obtained correlation was very weak but positive. Thus, it can be concluded that the subjects who had a higher level of optimism experienced pre-competition fever more often.