The relationship between self-assessment and self-confidence and the skills of serving and smashing in youth volleyball

Abstract

The problem can be summarized in two questions:

Does the relationship between psychological variables (self-assessment, self-confidence) and performance (serving, smashing) contribute to the design of psychological programs alongside skill-based ones?

Does the research support a comprehensive vision for development in physical education by enhancing psychological variables, thereby enhancing performance in tournaments and competitions? The research also aims to: Identify the skills of serving and smashing among junior players. Identify the relationship between the research criteria and the skills of serving and smashing among junior players. To achieve the objectives, the researcher chose the descriptive approach using the survey method. It also selected a sample of (80) players from the Iraqi Junior League for the season (2024-2025) and divided it into a survey, preparation and main sample. Then it prepared a self-assessment scale for volleyball juniors and used a self-confidence scale and two tests for the skills of smash and serve. Then the researcher identified the variables and extracted the results and correlation, and she reached several conclusions and recommendations, including that there is a clear weakness in self-assessment and self-confidence among junior volleyball players. There is an acceptable level of skill performance, but the psychological aspect is weak. It is necessary to pay attention to psychological aspects, such as self-evaluation and self-confidence. It is necessary to activate psychological guidance units and include them in training sessions. It is necessary to adopt a training program for the smash and serve skills, as they are offensive skills that score points and win for the team.