REDUCTION OF CHILDRENS SPORT PERFORMANCE ANXIETY THROUGH SOCIAL SUPPORT AND STRESS-REDUCTION TRAINING FOR COACHES

A field experiment was conducted to assess the efficacy of a social-su pport and stress-reduction program intended to influence factors that affect performance anxiety in child athletes. Baseball coaches in an e xperimental condition received preseason training in which behavioral guidelines for reducing anxiety were presented and modeled. A no-treat ment control group did not receive the coach training. Children (N = 1 52) who played for the two groups of coaches were interviewed and admi nistered sport-specific trait anxiety scales pre- and postseason. A ma nipulation check demonstrated that trained coaches differed from contr ols in player-perceived behaviors in accordance with the goals of the intervention. They were also evaluated more positively by their player s, their players reported having more fun, and their teams exhibited a higher level of attraction among players despite the fact that they d id not differ from controls in won-lost records. Consistent with theor y-based predictions, the intervention program significantly reduced ch ildren's trait anxiety over the course of the season.