Pre-Competitive Anxiety of Malaysian Premier League and University Football Players

This study aimed to identify the level of state anxiety among football players of a Malaysian premier league and a university football players. This study involved 40 players aged between 18 to 32 years old. The questionnaire used in this study was Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 Reverse Survey (CSAI-2R) to measure the level of athlete's somatic anxiety, cognitive anxiety and self-confidence. The findings showed that the premier league players has a lower level of somatic and cognitive anxiety than the university players. Premier league players also were shown to have higher levels of self-confidence. Based on the findings, experience and achievement level are the contributing factors in determining the level of anxiety and increasing self-confidence. The more experience and skills the athlete has, the easier it is for athletes to control the level of anxiety. © BEIESP