The Relationship between Coaches Verbal Aggressiveness and Competitive Anxiety among Adolescent: A Mental Toughness Mediation Analysis

coaches’verbal aggression, competitive anxiety, and mental stubbornness are three important factors influencing athletes' experiences. This study aimed to examine the relationship between coaches’verbal aggressiveness and competitive anxiety with the meditation of mental toughness among adolescent athletes.

in this cross-sectional study, One hundred and fifty-five girl martial arts athletes (Mage = 15.02, SD = 1.38) completed three questionnaires: coaches' verbal aggressiveness, competitive anxiety-2 and mental toughness in sport during their training sessions. The data were analyzed by using the correlation coefficient and Bootstrap test (to determine the mediating role of mental toughness).

The results revealed that coaches’ verbal aggressiveness associated positively with competitive anxiety and negatively with mental toughness. The effect of coaches’ verbal aggressiveness on competitive anxiety was mediated by mental toughness.

All findings indicate that coaches’verbal aggressiveness increase competitive anxiety in adolescent athletes and self-compassion plays an important role in moderating the coaches’verbal aggressiveness and competitive anxiety among athletes.