STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF STRESS OVER THЕ COMPETITIVE PREPAREDNESS AMONG WOMEN BASKETBALL PLAYERS

Abstract

Nowadays, basketball imposes significant demands on coaches and players with regards to their physical, technical-tactical and psychological abilities. The dynamism that is characteristic of the basketball game, often puts female basketball players in various stressful situations in which they must show stability. PURPOSE: The purpose of the current study is to help women basketball players during their preparation in order to overcome stress in the environment of important competitions. METHODS: A special questionnaire was used. The study was carried out during the European Basketball Championship Women U-18, Division B, in the period 30.07 – 07.08.2022 in Sofia, Bulgaria. The questionnaire consists of questions related to: the playing experience of the female basketball players, the team position they play at, the physiological changes they experience when under stress during competition, the occurring emotional changes, the effect of stress over their basketball capabilities and skills, and others. RESULTS: The competition stress is at its highest level of sensing before a particular match. Before important competitions or matches, stress causes physiological changes such as: a knotted stomach, acidity in the stomach, higher rate of perspiration, faster heartbeat and breathing. CONCLUSIONS: It is of particular interest among sports training specialists and coaches to know more about the methods and techniques in which they would be able to overcome and suppress the stress conditions of the players in the environment of competitions – before a basketball match itself, during the match, and after it has finished.

Keywords

• basketball
• stress factors
• competition environment
• analysis