Abstract
This study aimed to examine mental toughness related to the competitive performances of water polo players from the viewpoints of competitive levels,player position and years of competitive experience and to propose an evaluation criterion.A survey composed of 51 items representing 15 mental toughness factors was administered to water polo players, and the data from 412 male respondents (age:17.8±3.8yr,years of competitive experience:3.8±2.6yr) with valid responses were analyzed.Significant differences were found in forecasting-discretion ability, decision, confidence, imaging and in the total score between two groups with different years of competitive experiences.The group with more experience(over 7 years) had higher scores in the above factors. There was no significant difference between groups differing in competitive level or player position.In addition,distribution of all mental toughness factors and the total score followed a normal distribution.Based on these data,we proposed an evaluation criterion based on a 5-point rating for each mental toughness factor.
