Relationship between sports performance in federate athletes and self-esteem, motivation and emotional intelligence

Abstract

The training of an athlete depends on the optimal interaction of all the elements that contribute to performance, in which psychological aspects play an important role. In this study, the main aim was to analyze sports performance and its relationship with self-esteem, motivation and emotional intelligence in federated athletes. To do this, 171 Spanish federate athletes participated in this study, with an age range from 18 to 35 years (M = 23.3; DT = 4.8). Intrinsic motivation and emotional intelligence has been found to be higher among high and very high performance athletes. No significant statistical association was found between athletic performance and self-esteem, and no differences were found in the psychological variables being studied based on sex and sports categories. It emphasizes the importance of enhancing psychological resources that affect sports performance, especially motivational aspects and those related to emotional management. It is concluded that intrinsic motivation and emotional intelligence are relevant psychological variables related to greater sports performance. Emphasis is placed on the importance of enhancing psychological resources, especially motivational aspects and those related to emotional management, so that sports psychologists could train within psychological intervention programs with athletes.