PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS ON SPORT TRAINING AND PERFORMANCE OF UNIVERSITY OF BENIN

This study assessed the psychological factors that affect sports training and performance among student athletes in the University of Benin. Nine research questions were raised to guide the study. The descriptive survey research method was adopted in carrying out this study. The population of this study consists of two hundred and twenty-nine (229) student athletes. The data was collected using simple random technique and a sample size of one hundred and sixteen (116) respondents was used for the study. The research instrument used for the study was a self-constructed questionnaire. The validity of the instrument was subjected to scrutiny and the test-retest reliability technique was used to ascertain its reliability. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentages, mean and standard deviation. The findings revealed that psychological factors influence sport performance which include stress, tension, anxiety and aggression. The data from the study also showed that personality, motivation, emotions, attention and concentration also affect the performance of student athletes. In conclusion, student athletes agreed that psychological factors will affect sport training and performance. It is commended that these psychological factors be taken into cognizance during training and competition as they determine how the student athlete will perform.