ABSTRACT
This chapter examines major findings regarding the relationship between selected psychological variables and athleticism. It describes the influence that coaches and parents can exert on psychological factors such as self-perception and self-esteem in young athletes. Sport participation and performance impact psychological variables beyond general mental health or psychological states such as anxiety. The chapter explores how personality traits are consistently associated with sports performance and how athletes exhibit considerable interindividual variability in both their psychological responses and level of performance in response to sport-related stressors such as training and competition. Research has shown that good coach–athlete relationships can reduce antisocial behavior and promote prosocial behavior, especially with exposure to sport-related sociomoral reasoning. The chapter focuses on the relationship between the development of hypothetical thinking in children and their teleoanticipation ability.
