Development of a Self-perceived Soccer Competence Scale

抄録

The purpose of this study was to develop a self-rating scale capable of measuring the self-perceived soccer competence of soccer players. A total of 206 Japanese male college soccer players completed a questionnaire based upon 60 items selected from a preliminary study. Exploratory factor analysis was applied to obtain a factor structure of self-perceived soccer competence. Participants were also asked to score their own abilities as soccer players out of a possible hundred. The players’ self-evaluated soccer ability scores were used as a criterion variable. Exploratory factor analysis yielded 10 subscales for the scale: situationally specific passing and ball control skill, speed, dribbling skill, physical strength, endurance, defending skill, leadership, motivation, long kick skill and heading skill. The scale contained individual ball techniques and group skill (situationally specific passing and ball control, leadership, dribbling skill, defending skill, long kick skill and heading skill), physical fitness (speed, physical strength and endurance) and mental toughness (motivation), thus it seems that the scale covered enough area to evaluate a soccer player’s self-perceived soccer competence. Additionally, the players who had displayed lower soccer ability scores showed significantly lower scores on the self-perceived soccer competence scale as compared to players who had displayed higher soccer ability scores. This result suggests that the criterion-referenced validity of the scale developed was verified. The results showed that the self-perceived soccer competence scale has the potential to multi-dimensionally and precisely reflect the soccer competence of Japanese college soccer players.