DOI: 10.11648/j.pbs.20261504.12 ISSN: 2328-7845

The Influence of Psychological Skills on Competitive Performance Among Male Ethiopian Premier League Basketball Players

Mulugeta Habdollo, Vijay Narvaneni
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The present study examined the influence of selected psychological skills on competitive performance among male Ethiopian Premier League basketball players during the 2024–2025 season. The study investigated whether psycho-logical factors, including goal setting and mental preparation, confidence and achievement motivation, coachability, concentration, coping with adversity, peaking under pressure, and freedom from worry, were associated with team performance. A total of 105 male players from seven Ethiopian Premier League clubs participated in the study. Psy-chological skills were assessed using the Athletic Coping Skills Inventory-28 (ACSI-28), while team performance was determined according to the final league standings. The findings revealed that players from high-performing teams scored significantly higher in goal setting and mental preparation, concentration, coping with adversity, and peaking under pressure than players from low-performing teams. These results suggest that athletes who effectively plan, maintain focus, manage setbacks, and perform under competitive pressure are more likely to contribute to successful team performance. In contrast, confidence and achievement motivation, coachability, and freedom from worry did not differ significantly between high- and low-performing teams, indicating that these variables were not strong predictors of competitive success in this study. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of psychological preparedness in elite basketball and support the integration of psychological skills training into coaching programmes. Future research should include larger samples, mixed-method approaches, and broader competitive settings to further investigate the role of psychological skills in Ethiopian basketball.

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