Correlation between Anxiety and Success in Swimming Training Program for Non-Swimmers

Abstract

The need to determine the factors that positively or negatively affect the acquisition of swimming knowledge arose with the development of various swimming programs. The aim of this research was to determine the connection between the level of anxiety and success in the process of motor learning in swimming training program for non-swimmers. A sample of 77 children, aged (11.00±0.71), participated in a swimming training program for non-swimmers for 20 hours according to the standard method used in the Republic of Croatia. In the first and last lesson, the swimming knowledge was determined by means of a scale of eleven grades that describe the level of acquisition of swimming knowledge. Level of anxiety was assessed by modified CSAI-2CSWIM anxiety level questionnaire. Correlation analysis determined that the level of anxiety has a significant negative correlation with performance in all three observed domains, cognitive anxiety -0.273 and -2.46, somatic anxiety -0.384 and -0.337 and self-confidence -0.420 and -0.308 with results on the final test and with progress in swimming learning. The results of the conducted research showed that the level of anxiety has a significant influence on the children’s swimming learning process.