VOLITIONAL SELF-CONTROL IN DYSREGULATION STRATEGIES OF JUNIOR ATHLETES.
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Date
2025
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Abstract
The aim is to perform theoretical and empirical research on the manifestations, psychological correlations, and
differences in volitional self-control related to dysregulation strategies in junior athletes. Methods: The study
involved a random sample of junior athletes from Ukrainian sports schools of the Olympic reserve for children
and youth, including students with experience playing on U-17 and U-19 junior teams of professional sports
clubs. A total of 130 respondents aged 15–19 participated, with 67 female athletes (51.54%) and 63 male athletes
(48.46%). The descriptive statistics for age were М = 17.12 and SD = ±3.28. Results. It was substantiated that
the descriptive frequency characteristics of non-productive coping strategies and the dimensions of junior
athletes' emotional dysregulation allowed for creating a general profile of respondents' dysregulation strategies.
It was explained that the profile allows for identifying respondents' capacity for volitional self-control. The
smaller the area outlined by a dysregulation contour, the higher the level of productive coping, and the lower the
probability of destabilization in juniors' sports activities. Correspondingly, a large area testifies to junior athletes'
poor ability to control learning and training, competitive, and rehabilitative activities. A comparison by the
grouping variables “general volitional self-control”, “perseverance”, and “self-mastery” was performed.
Significant differences were identified in all the parameters of the grouping variable “general volitional selfcontrol”. The only superiority was recorded in “distancing coping” by two grouping variables, “perseverance”
and “self-mastery”. It was explained that junior athletes with a low level of perseverance and self-mastery are
prone to “distancing coping”, which negatively affects learning and training, competitive, and rehabilitative
activities. The results of the correlation matrix show that a lack or a low level of self-mastery in juniors is a
cause of all failures in sports activities. Dimensionality reduction allowed for recording two factors, “volitional
dysregulation” and “controlled emotional dysregulation”. Discussion and conclusions. It was substantiated that
research into volitional self-control in dysregulated behaviors is a confirmatory strategy aimed at finding the
levels, establishing correlations, and identifying differences and dominant junior athletes' dysregulated states at
the stage of their professional and personal development. It was summarized that the established scientific facts
possess scientific novelty in developing junior athletes' emotional and volitional sphere. It was recommended
that the identified patterns and new knowledge be implemented in the learning and training process at sports
schools of the Olympic reserve for children and youth.
Description
Popovych, I., Matusiak, H., Soliev, I., Hrytsuk, O., Burdina, T., Tkachenko, N., Los, O., & Ilchuk, S. (2025). Volitional self-control in dysregulation strategies of junior athletes. Journal of Physical Education and Sport, 25(12), 2448–2457. DOI: 10.7752/jpes.2025.12271.
Keywords
rumination, perseverance, self-mastery, mental state, self-regulation, mentalizing difficulties, confrontation