MENTAL RELIABILITY OF STUDENT-ATHLETES IN COMPETITIVE SHOOTING

Abstract

Aim. This study investigates the mental reliability of student-athletes and its relationship with shooting performance. Materials and methods. The study involved 50 shooting sport athletes from Moscow Aviation Institute with mass sports categories (II and I sports ranks) and amateur athletes with > 1 year of training. Psychological assessment utilized V.E. Milman’s “Mental Reliability of an Athlete” questionnaire. Shooting performance was measured through a standardized control exercise (small-bore rifle, prone position, 10 shots). Results. Ranked athletes demonstrated reduced competitive emotional stability, self-control, and stress resistance, with moderate motivation levels. The study demonstrated significant gender disparity in stress resistance, with female athletes showing lower scores. However, no performance difference was observed. No significant psychological differences were recorded between ranked and non-ranked athletes. For category II shooters, stress resistance significantly correlated with competitive performance, though this correlation was significant only in males. Conclusion. Stress resistance is a cri­tical performance predictor for category II shooters, particularly males, suggesting their results orientation may heighten stress vulnerability. These findings are in line with existing literature emphasizing mental training for mass-category athletes.