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The purpose of this study was to examine psychological skills prevalent in the college rodeo athlete. Following written informed consent, the Psychological Skills Inventory for Sports (PSIS-R5; Mahoney, Gabriel, & Perkins,1987) was administered to 215 collegiate rodeo athletes (mean age 20.4+1.5 yrs;149 males, 66 females) of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA). MANOVA by event (roughstock, roping, steer wrestling, barrel racing), gender, nature of competition (contact, noncontact), and athletic skill level (high, low), were performed with Tukey's HSD post hoc procedures applied where appropriate. Psychological constructs identified by the PSIS included anxiety management, concentration, confidence, mental preparation, motivation, and team emphasis. Wilks' criterion indicated no significant differences (F^sub 6.206^=1.20;Prob>F=0.26) in psychological skills across events. Males, however, scored significantly higher in anxiety management (68.4+/-1.0% vs 64.8+/-1.5%,p<.05), concentration (74.6+/-1.1% vs 70.3+/-1.6%,p<.03), and confidence (80.5+/-1.2% vs 72.9+/-1.9%, p<.0007) than female competitors. Highly skilled competitors scored significantly higher in anxiety management (70.0+/-1.5% vs 63.2+/-1.0%,p<.0003), concentration (74.7+/-1.6% vs 70.1+/-1%, p<.02), confidence (82.0+/-1.8% vs 71.4+/-1.3%, p<.0001), and motivation (77.5+/-1.5% vs 72.3+/-1.0%, p<.004) than lower skilled athletes. Results indicate collegiate rodeo athletes exhibit psychological skill pattems inconsistent with athletes in more traditional sports, which may be a function of cognitive skills required for human vs animal competition unique to this sport. Differences in psychological skill response exist between gender, and between high and low skilled athletes. In conclusion, assessment of psychological skills may enhance predictions of athletic potential in this sport. The opportunity to achieve maximal athletic performance through the use of sound physical training programs and testing procedures has continued to gain acceptance from coaches and players at various levels of competition. Assessment of maximal aerobic power, speed, anaerobic capacity, and body composition have been essential components found among many successful athletic programs. Although the development of sport psychology has been documented for over 90 years beginning with efforts of Triplett (1897), only within the last decade has the emphasis on psychological components of athletics moved from the research laboratory and gained on-the-field support as a major influence on sport performance (Murphy,1988; Orlick & Partington, 1988).
Early research evidence has supported an association between psychological characteristics and sport performance (May, Veach, Reed, & Griffey, 1985; Morgan & Pollock,1977; Ogilvie,1968). Results have often been controversial since the level of competitive stress, and...