Investigation of selected psychological parameters of super league youth players

The research aims to determine the levels of specific psychological parameters possessed by Super League Under-15 to Under-17 age group players and to compare these levels based on their sports age. The study examines the parameters of mental toughness, achievement perception, and aggression in sports among youth academy players to understand how these parameters affect player performance. In pursuit of this goal, a sample of 80 players from Kayserispor (37), Fatih Karagümrük (17), Kasımpaşa (14), and Hatayspor (12) was selected. For the measurement of selected parameters, the Mental Toughness Inventory, Sport Aggression Scale, and Sport Achievement Goal Orientation Scale were employed. In terms of statistical analysis, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) technique was used to determine the levels of psychological skills possessed by players and whether there were differences based on their sports age. As a result, significant differences were found in the levels of mental toughness and achievement perception variables among players based on their sports age, according to the obtained total scores. However, no significant difference was observed in the aggression variable based on sports age. When examining the subdimensions of the selected variables, significant differences were found in all subdimensions of mental toughness and achievement perception, while no significant differences were observed in the subdimensions of aggression. The results emphasize that the psychological parameters of mental toughness and achievement perception of players in the 15-17 age group differ based on their sports age.