Physical and Psychological Factors Influencing the Performance of the Football Players of Pakistan

Abstract

The purpose of this particular research study was to find out the effects of physical and psychological factors and their possible influence on the performance of football players. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Pakistan. Researchers selected 300 male football players from all over Pakistan. Participants aged between 15 to 25 years were made part of the study. Researchers excluded injured players from the study. The data was collected through general demographics, DASS 21 scale used for measuring psychological factors, and the fitness test for physical factors.  The values were transferred to SPSS 21 for analysis. Descriptive statistics mean, standard deviation and percentage were used for the analysis of the data. Results of the study have been presented through tables and graphs. Results of the study have shown that physical and psychological factors badly affect the performance of players. The null hypothesis was rejected. The fitness level of participants was also affected. Co-ordination, strength, flexibility, speed, and endurance effects on the performance of 300 football players who participated in this study were in the wall toss test mean value was 27.5, in sit & reach test mean value was 27.61, in the standing board jump it was 25.15 meter, in shuttle run test mean value was 5.18, and in copper, test mean value remained calculated as 2191.3. The mean score for depression in participants was 9.38, the mean score for anxiety was 10.05, and the mean score for stress remained 12.31. The results have been shown in Table-1 and 2. The findings of the study show that the performance of football players from Pakistan is influenced by physical and psychological factors. Results of the study have concluded that the depression level was mild, and a moderate level of anxiety and extremely severe level of stress were observed. It is recommended that attention must be placed on the physical and mental health of players for better sports performance. The coach, experts, and management may seek help from the findings of the study to improve the performance level of football players in Pakistan.