SPORTVERTROUE EN PREST ASIE IN ELITE DAMESGIMNASTIEK

Abstract

This study investigated (i) the levels of sports confidence, (ii) the relationship between sports confidence and performance, and (iii) the relationship between apparatus and sports confidence in elite female gymnasts. Female elite gymnasts (N = 40), aged 14 and older, completed an adapted version of Vealy's State Sports Confidence Inventory 90 minutes prior to their participation in a national gymnastics competition. As not all South African elite levels incorporate all four events, a total of 25 vault-performers,31 uneven bar-performers, 26 beam-performers, and 32 floor-performers were eventually included. Results show that elite female gymnasts possess high levels of sports confidence on vault, bars and floor, as well as on all four events combined.Elite female gymnasts were found to possess low levels of sports confidence on beam. There was no support for the hypothetic relationship betweenmeasures of sports confidence and performance in a gymnastics competition, although averageconfidence i.n decision-making ability on vault, as well as adaptation to vaulting conditions, produced significantly better vaulting results than high confidence forthese components. The results further revealed the influence of apparatus on sports • confidence: significantly lower levels of sports confidence on beam, compared to at least one other event, were obtained on six components of the SSCI. Beamconfidence was generally found to be significantly lower than sports confidence measured for vaulting, bar and floor performances.