Coping in soccer athletes: A systematic review

Abstract

Objective: Review the studies that investigated coping in soccer. Methods: A systemic search was carried out in the following databases: Pubmed, Web of Science, Scielo, Scopus, PsychINFO and SPORTDiscus. The descriptors related to the terms (Coping skills, Sport and Football) were verified in the MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) database. The inclusion criteria used were: Empirical studies published in journals peer-reviewed scientific papers; b) Studies published from December 2014 to December 2019; c) with at least one quantitative measure; d) Studies with samples of soccer athletes; and e) Articles with specific reference to the topic 'Coping skills'. Results: The results showed that coping skills interact with important variables for good performance in elite soccer, such as competitive level, sports talent, psychopathologies, age group and sex. More specifically, it was noted that the development of some coping strategies, such as facing adversity, trust/motivation and performance under pressure, are potentially common to these variables. Conclusion: It is concluded that the development of some coping strategies is fundamental to the elite athlete, since it is positively associated with the optimal development of most of the variables analyzed in the synthesized studies.