Abstract
Aim: The aim of this research is to examine the proficiency levels of elite Taekwondo players in coping with stress according to different variables. The universe of the research consisted of male and female athletes engaged in taekwondo at the elite level in Turkey.
Method: The sample group consists of 239 athletes, 101 women and 138 men. The personal information form created by the researchers and the "Coping Efficiency Scale" developed by Akın et al. (2014) were used as data collection tools. The data were analyzed in computer environment. T-test was used for independent variables in pairwise comparisons. For variables with more than two, one-way analysis of variance ANOVA test was used. LSD test was applied to determine the source of the difference.
Results and Conclusion; As a result, it was found that elite level Taekwondo players were at a moderate level when looking at the total score averages of the proficiency scale for coping with stress, and that the variables of athlete's age and weekly training frequency had an effect on their proficiency in coping with stress. In this context, it is seen that there is a significant difference between the sports ages, weekly training numbers and the levels of coping with stress of Taekwondo athletes who compete professionally in national and international competitions. In this case, it is thought that taekwondo athletes need more social support due to their inability to respond to the psychological situations that may occur on them during intense training and competition periods.