The effect that winning or losing a soccer match has on the sources of sport-confidence

Abstract

This study examined the effects that winning or losing a previous soccer match had on the sources of sport-confidence in 26 male amateur soccer players aged between 18 years and 27 years old, with a mean age of 20.23. Each individual soccer player completed the Sources of Sport-Confidence Questionnaire (SSCQ) once at their training session following a competitive win and once at their following training session following a competitive loss. Primary analysis involved nine dependent t-tests (or paired t-test) of the nine separate sources. The dependent t-tests revealed a significant difference in the saliency of social support and coach's leadership depending on whether the previous competitive soccer match resulted in a win or a loss. Soccer players placed more importance on social support and coach's leadership when they had won their previous competitive soccer match compared to when they had lost their previous competitive soccer match. Ametuer male soccer players considered social support, demonstration of ability, and physical/mental preparation as the most important sources of sport-confidence. These findings emphasise the impact that previous performance, and/or the result of a previous performance can have on the sources of sport-confidence. This subsequently has implications for the design of confidence building interventions based upon where confidence is sourced from when a previous performance resulted in success or victory, particularly if previous performances resulting in failure or a loss have detrimental effects on an individual's levels of confidence.