Understanding mental toughness in student-athletes: Insights from sport psychology

Zulakbal Abd Karim

Abstract

Creating successful athletes has four main aspects: physical, technical, tactical, and psychological. This research focusedon the psychological aspects of athletes. Psychological aspects are fundamental in determining successful sporting achievements, one of which is the aspect of mental toughness. Mental toughness is one of the factors that can influence the psychological state of athletes during training and competition, especially for students, so it can help athletes display their best performance. The objective of this research was to assess the mental toughness of student-athletes while they are practicing and competing, which was closely linked to their level of achievement. The study consisted of275 student-athletes as subjects, and the data was collected using a questionnaire that consisted of the Mental Toughness scale. Results: The mentaltoughness of student-athletes was low, and mental toughness was not dependent on the athlete's level of competition. However, it is expected that athletes competing at the national level would have higher levels of mental toughness than those at lower levels due to their increased experience in competition. Conclusion: This research suggestedthat the government should collaborate with sports psychologists to improve mental health among student-athletes to help them achieve the best performance, which leads to becoming champions in various sports categories. These findings provideda basis for further investigation.

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