Abstract
We examined the longitudinal change of a psychological-competitive ability across three grades in high school baseball players using the Diagnostic Inventory of Psychological Competitive Ability for Athletes (DIPCA). Participants were 109 baseball players in three high schools (five teams) aiming for the “KOSHIEN” tournament. Participants completed the DIPCA every year after each school’s spring tournament (May–June). The longitudinal change of all 109 players showed a decline in scores on the Self-accomplishment subscale in the third grade. However, scores on other factors and subscales did not change significantly across the three grades. A comparison between the regular group (n=64) and the non-regular group (n=45) showed that psychological-competitive ability was higher in the regular group than in the non-regular group. The regular group maintained a high level of psychological-competitive ability from the first grade until the third grade, whereas the non-regular group showed a decline in the Competitive motivation factor in the third grade. Confirming the longitudinal change of the regular group for each team, not only did the teams show positive changes, but also showed negative changes. In addition, the type of longitudinal changes in psychological-competitive ability varied by year, even in the same school.
