Butterfly in stomach: Investigation on the influence of pre-competition anxiety on perceived athletic performance during SCUAA games season

Abstract

The study aligns with the university research agenda of Education and Pedagogy for Filipino learners. Also, it aligns with the Sustainable Development Goal on Quality Education and Good Health and Well-being of the United Nations. Using a quantitative research design, the study examined the predictive ability of sports anxiety on perceived performance and physical fitness among 103 Filipino collegiate student-athletes before the SCUAA games (Region 3). Purposive sampling categorized participants into ball sports (n=45), combat sports (n=37), and racket sports (n=21), with strict eligibility criteria. Data were collected using the Sport Anxiety Scale-2 (SAS-2), the Self-Perception of Physical Fitness Scale, and the Athlete's Subjective Performance Scale (ASPS). Following ethical clearance and informed consent, data were analyzed using multiple linear regression in SPSS version 30 to identify predictors. The Central Limit Theorem ensured the appropriateness of parametric tests, and results were handled confidentially and made available to participants and the university. Among all respondents, sports anxiety and its dimensions did not predict perceived sports performance, except in ball sports, where somatic anxiety was a negative predictor. Sports anxiety negatively predicts perceived muscular strength, cardio, and total physical fitness. In ball sports, it predicts lower muscular strength, motor coordination, cardiorespiratory fitness, and total fitness, but morphological fitness showed no association. In racket sports, only cardiorespiratory fitness was negatively predicted by anxiety, with other dimensions showing no significant relationship. In combat sports, no association was found between sports anxiety and any perceived physical fitness dimensions. Future research should include a larger, more diverse sample across different sports and skill levels to improve generalizability and statistical power.