The relationship between personality factors and football ability

The purposes of this study were: (A) To determine the relationship between personality factors, STDCR, of a team of AAAA Texas high school football athletes and their rated football ability, and (B) To determine what personality factors, STDCR, are prevalent in each of seven categories of football athletes. The seven categories were: (A) offensive linemen, (B) defensive linemen, (C) offensive backs, (D) defensive backs, (E) offensive ends, (F) defensive ends, and (G) defensive linebackers.

The Cowell and Ismail Football Rating Scale was used by the seven coaches of the seventy-four subjects to independently rate each subjects's football ability. A single football ability score was obtained for each subject by computing the mean of the seven ratings.

Zero-order correlations using the Pearson-Product-Moment correlation technique were computed to determine the relationship between the C-score of each of the five personality factors, STDCR, and the mean football ability rating. Zero-order and multiple correlation coefficients v/ere computed for each of seven categories of positions to determine the relationship between the five personality factors, STDCR, and the mean football ability ratings. A regression equation for predicting the rated football ability for each of the seven categories of positions was established.

It was found that a statistically significant correlation coefficient (r=.27) existed between factor S (social introversion-extroversion) and the mean football ability ratings. The correlation was significant at the .05 level of confidence. For the positions of offensive linemen and defensive ends the zero-order correlation coefficients (r=.56 and .70 respectively) obtained between factor S and football ability were statistically significant at the .05 level of confidence. On four of the seven categories of positions, the multiple correlation coefficients obtained between various combinations of personality factors, STDCR, and rated football ability were statistically significant at the .05 level of confidence. The four categories of positions and the statistically significant multiple correlation coefficient for each were: (A) offensive linemen, (R=.79), (B) defensive backs, (R=.75), (C) defensive ends, (R=.85), and (D) defensive linebackers, (R=.99). The reliability of the mean ratings derived from the use of the Cowell and Ismail Football Rating Scale v/as .93, and the reliability of the seven raters using the scale was .64. It was found that the mean C-scores for all subjects as a whole and for all subjects within seven categories of positions were within the ambivert range of C-scores.

It was concluded that: (1) There is a low and positive relationship between personality factor S and the rated football ability of all football athletes (N=74), (2) There are high significant relationships between various combinations of personality factors, STDCR, and rated football ability in four of the seven categories of positions. The personality factors, STDCR, and rated football ability yield a significant relationship (R=.79) for offensive linemen (N=14) The personality factors, STDCR, and rated football ability yield a significant relationship (R=.75) for defensive backs (N=15). The personality factors, SDCR, and rated football ability yield a significant relationship (R=.85) for defensive ends (N=9). The personality factors, TDR, and rated football ability yield a significant relationship (R=.99) for defensive linebackers (N=5).