Investigation of mental endurance levels with mental training skills of women footballers

The aim of this study is to examine the mental training skills and mental endurance levels of female football players in Turkey in terms of age, football history, club league, nationality status and nationality category variables. The study consists of 205 female football players who took part in the women's football leagues in the 2022-2023 season and volunteered in the study. In the study, the data were collected using the personal information form, the Mental Training Inventory in Sports (SZAE), which was adapted in Turkish by Yarayan and İlhan (2018), and the Mental Resilience Inventory in Sports (SZDE) made by Altıntaş and Koruç (2016), the Turkish adaptation. In the analysis of the data, descriptive statistics, t-test in independent groups for data with normal distribution, one-way variance analysis, and Kruskall Wallis analysis for data that do not show normal distribution were used. LSD Post Hoc analysis was performed to determine the source of the difference between the groups. According to the results of the analysis, there is no statistically significant difference between the mental training levels of female football players in sports and the variables of age, football history, club league, nationality status and nationality category (p>0.05). When we look at the results of SZDE levels, there is a significant difference between the SZDE total score averages of the football players and the age, football history, nationality and national category variables (p<0.05). In addition, between the confidence dimension age and national status variables from the SZDE sub-dimensions of the football players; It was determined that there was a statistically significant difference between the control dimension and the age, football history, club league, nationality and national category variables (p<0.05). According to the results, it can be said that female football players in the 23-year-old and over age group have a higher level of confidence and control than those in the lower age categories; 2nd league athletes have lower control level than super and 1st league athletes; national athletes have a higher level of confidence and control than non-national athletes. According to the national team category variable, the SZDE total score average and control levels of the players in the A national team are higher than the players in the U17 national team. Finally, it has been determined that the SZDE total score averages and control levels of women football players with a football history of 5 years or more are higher than the groups with below 5 years.