Abstract

The problem of the study is that data, which could reveal the influence of psychological training on the competition-related psychological skills among youth basketball players, is still lacking. The purpose of this study was to define the evolution of competition-related psychological skills among youth basketball players under the influence of educational training program. It is presumed that after the training program competition-related psychological skills among youth basketball players are higher. The research was based on Šniras (2005) inventory. The method was adapted after providing an exploratory survey at V. Chomičius basketball school. Youth basketball players were asked to evaluate the following competition-related psychological skills: ability to strengthen competition-related motivation, ability of self-confidence, ability to stabilise emotional state, ability to communicate, ability to anticipate. The skills training experiment based on the principle of random serial selection was carried out with an experimental group of 26 youth basketball players and a control group of 28 young basketball players (in total, 54 tested persons). Both tested groups consisted of youth basketball players attending Kaunas V. Chomičius basketball school who were born in 1991. The skills training program determined higher level of competition-related psychological skills. The repeated investigation after the training program proved that only the frequency of application of such skills as ability to strengthen competition-related motivation (p < 0.05), ability to stabilise emotional state (p < 0.01), ability of self-confidence (p < 0.01), ability to communicate (p < 0.01), ability to anticipate (p < 0.001) in the experimental group changed in particular. This was not the case in the control group: the research data of the control group after the experiment to compare with initial results changed little (p > 0.05). It was discovered that in the experimental group there appeared more youth basketball players who proved during competitions that their skills were developed insomuch as even in stressful conditions (competitions) they had been applied successfully. Youth basketball players of the experimental group would have more self-confidence and be more satisfied with sport activity, their own team and communication with team-mates. Verf.-Referat