Graduation Project by Students of the Faculty of Sport Sciences Entitled "Anxiety Levels Among National Team Players at the Arab American University"

Students Jana Daraghmeh, Batoul Issa, and Samih Ahmed Samih from the Faculty of Sport Sciences at the Arab American University presented a research study as part of their graduation project, entitled "Anxiety Levels among National Team Players at the Arab American University." The study was supervised by Dr. Oday Daraghmeh, and the discussion committee included Dr. Main Zakarna and Dr. Samer Al-Saadi.

In their research, the students indicated that anxiety is a prominent psychological phenomenon in the sports field in general, and in football in particular, given the highly competitive nature of the sport, the frequent pressures, and the high expectations from various parties surrounding the player, whether coaches, management, or fans.

They explained that football players are exposed to competitive situations that require consistent performance under pressure and quick decision-making in changing circumstances, which makes anxiety a significant factor influencing their level of psychological preparedness.

The students explained in their research that this study aimed to identify the level of anxiety among the players of the Arab American University's football team and to uncover the nature of their competitive anxiety. This was achieved by addressing several key themes, including the causes of nervousness and anxiety, the manifestations of this condition during matches, the coach's role in managing players' anxiety, and the timing of the emergence of nervousness and anxiety during matches.

As the students indicated in their research, the study also sought to provide a comprehensive overview of sports anxiety as a factor influencing University athletic performance.

The study adopted a descriptive-analytical approach, deemed most suitable for its objectives. A questionnaire consisting of 23 items distributed across four main themes was developed and administered to a purposive sample of 50 players from the Arab American University's football team. The validity and reliability of the study were verified using appropriate statistical methods to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the results.

The results showed that the primary cause of nervousness and anxiety was a high percentage (96%), reflecting the influence of a range of psychological and environmental factors, such as fear of losing, crowd pressure, and refereeing decisions, in increasing players' anxiety levels.

The results also indicated that manifestations of nervousness and anxiety were evident during matches (94%), including loss of focus, intense emotions, and the emergence of undisciplined behaviors, which negatively impacts both individual and team performance.