TTLV: Stress of soccer players

MASTER'S THESIS INFORMATION

1. Student's full name: Nguyen Quyet Thang 2. Gender: Male

3. Date of birth: August 24, 1995

4. Place of birth: Gia Lai

5. Student recognition decision No. 5626/QD-XHNV dated December 29, 2023 of the President of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi

6. Changes in training process: None

7. Thesis topic: Stress of football players

8. Major: Psychology (research orientation) Code: 8310401

9. Scientific supervisor: Associate Professor, Dr. Trinh Thi Linh; Department of Psychology, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi

10. Summary of thesis results:

The results of the study showed that the stress level of young soccer players (18-21 years old) was at the average level. The study also noted statistically significant differences in stress levels according to age, gender, injury status, years of playing experience, playing position, and education level.

The study found that stress sources belonging to three groups (personal, social, organizational) all had statistically significant positive correlations with the stress levels of young soccer players, in which, performance requirements were the strongest correlated source, and family relationships had the weakest correlation.

The study noted that coping strategies played a mediating role in the relationship between stress sources and stress levels of young athletes, with problem-focused coping strategies playing the largest mediating role.

11. Practical application:

Based on the research results, some recommendations can be proposed to identify and reduce stress for young football athletes. First of all, sports organizations need to promote psychological education activities, providing skills for athletes to identify and cope with stress. Organizations also need to have a psychological health care system for athletes along with a system of periodic stress assessment and monitoring. In addition, organizations also need to increase the improvement of the organizational environment by considering the effective distribution of training and competition schedules, upgrading facilities, and creating more activities to connect team members.

12. Further research directions:

Future research could go in the following directions:

(1) Design a longitudinal study to monitor stress changes over time and further examine the causal relationship between stress sources and stress in soccer athletes.

(2) Adding individual factors to better understand the mechanisms that contribute to the reinforcement or reduction of stress in soccer athletes.

13. Published works related to the thesis: None

INFORMATION ON MASTER'S THESIS

1. Full name: Nguyen Quyet Thang 2. Sex: Male

3. Date of birth: August 24, 1995 4. Place of birth: Gia Lai

5. Admission decision number: 5626/QD-XHNV; Dated December 29, 2023, issued by the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (USSH), Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

6. Changes in academic process: None

7. Official thesis title: Stress among soccer players

8. Major: Psychology (Research-Oriented) 9. Code: 8310401

10. Supervisors: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Trinh Thi Linh; Faculty of Psychology, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi

11. Summary of the findings of the thesis:

The findings indicate that the overall stress level of young football players (aged 18–21) was at a moderate level. The study found significantly significant differences in stress levels according to age, gender, injury status, years of playing experience, playing position, and educational level.

Three groups of stressors - individual, social, and organizational - showed significantly positive correlations with athletes' stress levels. Among these, performance demonstrates the strongest correlation, while family relationships show the weakest.

The study also found that coping strategies played a mediating role in the relationship between stressors and athletes' stress levels, with task-focused coping serving as the strongest mediator.

12. Practical applicability:

Based on the findings, several recommendations can be made to identify and reduce stress among young football players. First, sports organizations should strengthen psychological education programs and provide athletes with skills to recognize and cope with stress. They should also establish psychological health care systems integrated with regular stress assessment and monitoring mechanisms. In addition, organizations should improve the training and competition environment, optimize scheduling, upgrade facilities, and enhance team cohesion activities to support athletes' well-being.

13. Further research directions:

Future studies may explore the following directions:

(1) Longitudinal research designs to track stress changes over time and to examine causal relationships between stressors and stress levels in football players.

(2) Inclusion of individual psychological factors to better understand mechanisms that either strengthen or mitigate stress among football players.

14. Thesis-related publications: None