Socio-psychological training to control competitive anxiety in youth baseball in Santiago de Cuba

Abstract

Introduction: anxiety is one of the most studied emotional responses in the practice of high performance sports, in Santiago de Cuba youth baseball has not been exempt from observing different manifestations of anxiety, which to a greater or lesser extent can affect competitive results, that is why it is necessary to seek scientific alternatives that contribute to reverse these effects. Materials and Methods: the objective of the research is to implement a socio-psychological training that allows controlling the anxiety of baseball players in competitive situations, for this purpose diagnostic techniques such as observation, interview, SCAI2, Pulsometry, APC and Time Appreciation were used. In addition, a group intervention of 20 sessions was carried out, using cognitive-behavioral and participative techniques and four actions directed to coaches and family members. Results: it was possible to confirm the effectiveness of the intervention in the final diagnosis, by observing a decrease in the physiological, cognitive and behavioral manifestations of anxiety in competitive situations. Discussion: favorable differences and modifications were observed in the control of anxiety before and after the social-psychological intervention, which points to the effectiveness of the proposed training. The social-psychological training showed the need to be inserted in the psychological preparation plans of individual and collective sports during the whole competitive macrocycle, as well as taking into account the premise of incorporating coaches and family members in the training of the athlete with greater intentionality. Conclusions: the effectiveness of the proposed training was demonstrated by decreasing the manifestations of anxiety in the studied sample.