ABSTRACT

There is still limited knowledge about the interrelations among sport-related stress, aggression towards peers, self-efficacy, and training. This study is aimed at investigating the relationships among a) stress, self-efficacy and aggression in adolescents; b) adolescents� self-regulatory efficacy and coaches� self-efficacy. The sample of adolescents consisted of 159 players of both genders, age 11 to 18 years, practicing different kinds of sport activities in the northwest of Italy, who completed the questionnaire �Me, my health and sport� (Ciairano, Molinengo, Rabaglietti, & Roggero, 2005). The sample of their coaches consisted of 28 subjects, age 21 to 62 years. The higher the adolescents� self-regulatory efficacy, the lower the physical aggression towards peers. No direct relationship between sport-related stress and aggression was found. Further, the higher the coaches� self-efficacy with respect to preventing adolescent risk behaviours, having good relationships with the adolescents and involving them in sport, the higher the adolescents� self-regulatory efficacy. We also found a positive relationship between the adolescents� aggression and playing soccer (football) and a negative relationship between playing soccer and the adolescents� self-regulatory efficacy. These findings stressed the importance of promoting adequate physical and sport activities among youth and suggested the need to further improve the quality of coaches� education.

KEYWORDS: sport, stress, regulatory self-efficacy, coach, aggression.