Levels of Trait Anxiety and Well-being in Chilean professional soccer players during the COVID-19 quarantine

Abstract

In response to the emergence of COVID 19 and the resulting pandemic, countries took steps to manage infection curves. They have forced them to remain in confinement and this strategy affected various contexts, within which is the sports field, suspending competitions, official matches, training on the field, sports broadcasts, etc. However, in the case of soccer professionals, they remained in physical preparation through technological platforms. The objective of this work is to explore the levels of trait anxiety, feeling of well-being and the relationship between both variables in professional soccer players from four clubs in Chile in order to contribute to the diagnosis of how the Covid-19 crisis may have affected sports reality in terms of mental and emotional health. For this, the STAI and PERMA were applied. As results, the investigated soccer players show average levels of trait anxiety and a good level of general well-being. There is also a correlation between the two. This study allows us to conclude that although the current situation can be seen as threatening, maintaining working and active conditions for an athlete seems to be key to feeling a certain degree of control in the face of uncertainty, as well as coping strategies that allow having a high sensation of wellness.