Examining the courage levels of male tennis players

In this study, the primary objective was to assess the level of courage among male tennis players and determine whether the level of courage in sports exhibited significant variations based on age group, body mass index (BMI), education level, and duration of tennis engagement. The research followed a causal comparison design. The sample comprised a total of 300 male tennis players, who held licenses for playing tennis at various clubs situated on both the European and Anatolian sides of Istanbul in the year 2023. Data for the study were collected through a questionnaire administered via the survey method. The questionnaire encompassed two sections: the Personal Information Form and the Sports Courage Scale. Quantitative analysis techniques were employed to scrutinize the gathered data within the research framework, utilizing the SPSS25 software package. Descriptive statistical measures, such as mean, standard deviation, median, frequency, and percentage analysis, were utilized to present descriptive findings regarding the participants and their levels of courage in sports. To explore potential disparities in sports courage levels among participants concerning different variables, an independent groups one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Hochberg post-hoc test were employed. All analyses were evaluated at a 95% confidence interval, with statistical significance set at p<0.05. The research findings initially indicated that participants demonstrated a generally above-average level of courage in sports. Subsequent examination of the sub-dimensions revealed that the dimension of sacrifice exhibited the highest mean score, followed by sports self-confidence. This suggests that male tennis players, as a collective, tend to exhibit bravery and a propensity for taking risks. Additionally, the study revealed that the level of courage in sports among male tennis players did not exhibit statistically significant variations based on age group, BMI, education level, or duration of tennis engagement (p>0.05). However, while not overall statistically significant differences were observed, the sub-dimension of sacrifice displayed a significant discrepancy based on age group (p<0.05). Athletes aged between 26 and 30 displayed significantly higher levels of sacrifice compared to those aged 31 and above.