Erman Dogan

In competitive sport, an athlete’s success is often linked to their physical strength, skill, and overall athletic ability. However, physical talent alone does not fully account for sporting success, as psychological and other personal factors also play a crucial role in achieving high performance. Thus, the present cross-sectional study aimed to examine the relationships between perfectionistic personality characteristics, achievement goal orientations, and trait anxiety among young football players using correlation and regression analyses. Participants consisted of 152 male U16 football players (M = 15.67, SD = 0.54) competing in the official league organized by the Cyprus Turkish Football Federation (CTFF). Data were collected using the Sport Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (SMPS), the 2 × 2 Achievement Goals Questionnaire for Sport (AGQ-S), and the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Pearson’s correlation analyses and simple linear regression models were conducted to examine relationships among variables and to identify significant predictors of trait anxiety. Correlation analyses revealed that trait anxiety was positively associated with concern over mistakes (r = 0.28, p < 0.01), perceived parental pressure (r = 0.17, p < 0.05), and mastery-avoidance goals (r = 0.37, p < 0.01), whereas it was negatively associated with mastery-approach goals (r = −0.18, p < 0.05). Regression analyses indicated that concern over mistakes significantly predicted trait anxiety (β = 0.25, p = 0.003), while perceived parental pressure was not a significant direct predictor (β = 0.10, p = 0.21). In addition, mastery-avoidance goals significantly predicted trait anxiety (β = 0.43, p < 0.001), whereas mastery-approach goals were negatively associated with trait anxiety (β = −0.28, p < 0.001). In conclusion, the findings indicate that perfectionistic concerns and mastery-avoidance goals are key factors associated with higher trait anxiety, whereas mastery-approach orientations may serve as a protective factor among young football players.

Archery is a sport that requires high levels of attention and concentration. Yantra and Grid Card applications are utilized to help athletes focus on their mental processes, overcome mental barriers, and enhance their performance. This study aimed to examine the effects of Yantra and Grid Card applications on shooting performance in archery. An experimental design was employed in the research. The study was conducted with 59 athletes (n=34 female, n=25 male) affiliated with the Archery Federation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Participants were divided into two age categories: n=38 young athletes and n=21 junior athletes. The experimental group consisted of 25 athletes, while the control group included 34 athletes. The experimental group underwent Yantra and Grid Card exercises for eight weeks, whereas the control group did not receive any intervention. Data were collected using a Demographic Form and the official competition scores of the TRNC Archery Federation. Athletes' personal characteristics, such as gender and age category, as well as their shooting scores during competition periods, were analyzed. Shooting scores were measured at three different points: Week 1, Week 4, and Week 8. Data analysis involved frequency and percentage calculations, cross-tabulations, Pearson's chi-square analysis, and parametric tests. The results revealed a significant increase in the shooting performance of the experimental group from the first to the eighth week. This improvement was particularly significant among female athletes and specifically in the junior female category. The findings suggest that Yantra and Grid Card applications enhance shooting performance in archery. However, this improvement may vary depending on gender, age group, and time periods. Future research is recommended to involve diverse sample groups to further explore these effects.