Use of the Athletic Coping Skills Inventory for Prediction of Performance in Collegiate Baseball

Abstract The Athletic Coping Skill Inventory (ACSI-28) was completed by twenty-six collegiate baseball players. Performance statistics were collected, including batting average (BA), number of errors committed (ERR), and earned run average (ERA) for pitchers. Regression analysis was carried out using the seven areas of the ACSI-28 (peaking under pressure, freedom from worry, coping with adversity, concentration, goal setting and mental preparation, confidence and achievement motivation, and 'coachability') as the independent variables, and the current season's performance statistics as the dependent variables. Correlation coefficients revealed significance between concentration, confidence, and ERA, while there were no significant relationships with BA or ERR and any of the psychological variables. Many of the psychological variables were highly related. While sequential linear regression did not reveal statistically significant relationships between the performance statistics and the psychological variables, large effect sizes indicated a strong degree of practical significance. Specifically, peaking under pressure and 'coachability' appeared to be strong predictor variables for ERA, concentration for ERR, and 'coachability' for BA. Introduction Athletes and theorists in human performance agree on the influence of psychological factors in the performance of motor skills, particularly at a high level of competition. As a result, an abundance of research has been dedicated to finding out not only how to prepare athletes mentally for high-pressure situations, but also what psychological factors are specifically determinants of performance. The link between research and application is of great importance because the business of sports is at an all-time peak and athletes from early childhood to advanced age are seeking ways to improve their game not only physically but mentally. The use of self-reporting instruments that indicate specific psychological skills is widespread, especially in collegiate and professional athletics. Because of the comparable levels of physical abilities among top-tier athletes, coaches seek to understand which psychological factors separate the elite from the non-elite. In sports where "choking" may cost a player or team a championship ring or millions of dollars, it is understandable that non-invasive, simple indicators of psychological skill measures have become popular. The baseball skills of pitching, hitting, and fielding are arguably as mental as they are physical. Pressure can affect a pitcher at any point in the game; managers and pitching coaches make it their business to "know" which pitchers will crumble under pressure and which will rise to the occasion. Certainly, if a method for predicting correctly the mental toughness (coping, if you will) of an athlete was shown to be valid and reliable, it would be of great benefit to coaches, managers, and athletes alike. The Athletic Coping Skills Inventory (ACSI-28), created in 1988, contains seven sport specific subscales: coping with adversity (COPE), peaking under pressure (PEAK), goal setting/mental preparation (GOAL), concentration (CONC), freedom from worry (FREE), confidence and achievement motivation (CONF), and 'coachability' (COACH) (Smith, Schutz, Smoll, & Ptacek, 1995). Smith and Christensen (1995) defined the subscales as follows as they apply to the sport of baseball: Peaking under Pressure: is challenged rather than threatened by pressure situations and performs well under pressure; a clutch performer Freedom from Worry: does not put pressure on self by worrying about performing poorly or making mistakes; does not worry about what others will think if he/she performs poorly Coping with Adversity: remains positive and enthusiastic even when things are going badly; remains calm and controlled; can quickly bounce back from mistakes and setbacks Concentration: not easily distracted; able to focus on the task at hand in both practice and game situations, even when adverse or unexpected situations occur Goal Setting and Mental Preparation: sets and works toward specific performance goals; plans and mentally prepares self for games and clearly has a "game plan" for pitching, hitting, playing hitters, base running, and so on Confidence and Achievement Motivation: is confident and positively motivated; consistently gives 100% during practice and games and works hard to improve skills 'Coachability': open to and learns from instruction; accepts constructive criticism without taking it personally or becoming upset (p. …