EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN ACROBATIC GYMNASTICS: HOW IMPORTANT IS THE ATHLETIC PROFILE?

Emotional intelligence (EI) is considered to be an important parameter in the world of sports, as it affects the athletic performance and wellbeing of athletes. The purpose of this study was to examine EI in athletes of Acrobatic gymnastics (ACROGYM). Furthermore, potential differences in EI that may be associated with athletic profile (age, years of participation in ACROGYM, number of competitions, competition category) were investigated. In total, 95 acrobatic gymnasts, 9-18 years old (15.92 ± 3.17 years) participated voluntarily. The athletes’ EI was assessed with the Emotional Quotient Inventory-Youth Version (EQ-i: YV), culturally adapted for the Greek population. According to the results, the ACROGYM athletes presented high levels of EI. However, the correlation analyses revealed that the association between the athletes’ profile and scores on EI scales was not statistically significant (p >.05). The t-tests and the MANOVAs applied showed no statistically significant differences in the EI subscales associated with gymnasts’ (a) participation in national competitions (p > .05); (b) frequency of training sessions per week (p > .05); (c) (not) being a member of a duet or a trio (p > .05); (d) position in the group (base, middle, top). It can be concluded that Greek acrobatic gymnasts present high levels of EI regardless of their age, their sport's experience or their level of performance. Moreover, neither their participation in a group nor their role in it seem to differentiate the dimensions of EI. Nevertheless, further research is needed in order to shed more light into EI in gymnastics.