Sports anxiety and its relationship to the level of accuracy of shooting by jumping high in handball among fourth-stage students at the University of Baghdad
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Abstract
This research aims to study the relationship between sports anxiety and accuracy of aiming when jumping high in handball, considering that anxiety is one of the most important psychological factors affecting the skill performance of athletes, especially in precise and complex tasks. The study relied on the descriptive associative approach, where data were collected from a sample of fourth-stage students at the Faculty of physical education and sports sciences at the University of Baghdad for the academic year (2024-2025), numbering (16) students, and anxiety levels were measured using standardized scales, in addition to evaluating the accuracy of aiming when jumping high according to specific technical standards. The results showed that the average anxiety level of the players was (45.31 ± 5.86), while the average accuracy of aiming was (12.19 ± 2.93). The results also revealed a statistically significant negative correlation between sports anxiety and aiming accuracy (r = -0.58), a value that exceeds the tabular value (0.497), indicating that increased anxiety is associated with a decrease in performance accuracy. This result was explained by the fact that anxiety consumes attentional resources and distracts concentration, also increases muscle tension and affects visual–motor coordination, which impairs the ability to accurately execute the aiming skill when jumping. She recommended that psychological training programs such as relaxation exercises, mindfulness, and simulating stress situations should be integrated into the players' physical and skill preparation plans.
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