Investigating the role of mental toughness and locus of control as possible risk factors for sports injuries in teenage soccer players

Personality traits are one of the three categories of psychosocial variables affecting stress response in the stress-injury model and have attracted the attention of many researchers in recent years. Accordingly, the current study aims to investigate the relationship between mental toughness and locus of control with the occurrence of sports injuries in soccer players. The present study was a prospective cohort study that was carried out in Khoramabad city during ۱۴۰۱-۱۳۹۹. The statistical sample consisted of ۱۲۲ soccer players with ages ۱۴ to ۱۷ years. dispositional resilience and a sport locus of control scales were used to evaluate mental toughness and locus of control, respectively.  Our study results showed that mental toughness is a personality trait that has a direct relationship with sports injuries (p<۰.۰۵), while internal and external locus of control did not show a direct relationship with sports injuries (p>۰.۰۵). According to the present study result for every point of reduction in mental toughness, the odds of sports injuries increase by ۱۱% (p<۰.۰۵). Soccer players who have less mental toughness may be more prone to sports injuries. Coaches and sports psychology specialists, to reduce the risk of sports injuries, can work on the mental toughness of soccer players.

کلیدواژه ها:

Mental toughness ، locus of control ، sports injury ، soccer ، سرسختی ذهنی ، منبع کنترل ، آسیب ورزشی ، فوتبال