Browsing by Author "Macharia, Michael N."

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    Awareness and Use of Mental Training Strategies among Kenyan Amateur Boxers
    (Kenyatta University, 2025-02) Macharia, Michael N.
    Mental training strategies are the basic meta-cognitive processes used to control learning and the use of mental skills in sports. This study's objective was to ascertain the mental training strategies status of awareness and extent of the use as well as the relationship based on gender, competition level, and sports experience among Kenyan amateur boxers. The study used a cross-sectional analytical research design. It targeted 240 male and 30 female boxers using assessment tools: a modified meta-cognitive awareness skill (MAS) for awareness and a test of performance strategies (TOPS) for the use of MTS. The mental training strategies included in both assessment tools are relaxation, goal-setting, self-talk, and imagery. Simple random sampling was used to select sample size of 50% comprising 120 male boxers while all the 27 female boxers competing in the BA-K boxing league took part in the study. Independent t-test and one–way ANOVA were used to compare differences in the means of awareness and use of mental training strategies. The results indicated more male (81.6%) boxers than female (18.4%). Sixty-seven per cent of boxers had best participated at the national level, and forty-three per cent had the longest sports experience (5 or more years). Boxers had inadequate (< 3.5) awareness and use of goal setting, self-talk, imagery and relaxation. T-test results revealed no appreciable differences between males and females in awareness and use of mental training strategies at (P>0.05). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a significant difference in mental training strategies awareness and use (F[4,142]=8,83, p=0.001) based on competition levels. Tukey's post hoc test showed that awareness of mental training strategies significantly increased as competition level increased. Based on sports experience, a significant difference was also found for awareness and use (F[2,144].=9,77, p=0.001) The post hoc test revealed that awareness and use of mental training strategies increased significantly as the sports experience increased. This suggested that developing mental skills was not given priority throughout training. According to the survey, BA-K should promote the recruitment of more female boxers to close the gender gap. The finding that boxers had relatively higher awareness of goal-setting indicates that perhaps the coaches should integrate MTS with physical training and put more emphasis on goal-setting to form a foundation for learning the other strategies. More studies comparing awareness and use of MTS, based on gender, age and skill level, should be conducted among boxers.