Abstract

• Sport confidence is defined as the beliefs in individual’s capability to be successful in sport (Vealey, 1988). This study has been conducted in order to explore sources of self-confidence among university athletes and to determine if there are differences between demographic factors such as age, gender, competitive level of athletes and branches of sport on the sources of self confidence. A cross-sectional research design was used to examine the sources of sport confidence among randomly selected university athletes (n =200) from inter-university sport competition in Myanmar. Data were collected with the Sources of Sport Confidence Scale (SSCS) developed by Vealey (1988) adapting to Myanmar version Questionnaire, and the values converted into percentage of maximum possible scores. Among the highest rated sources of sport confidence were coaches’ leadership (M = 78.67±20.63), mastery (M = 75.05±22.05), physical and mental preparation (M = 74.63±20.21) and demonstration of ability (M = 73.40±21.00). Athletes differed significantly across gender in mastery (p = .02), coaches’ leadership, (p=.04), social support (p=.03), with females recording higher scores. Significant differences were observed among university players in their sources of sport confidence, specifically in physical self-presentation (p = .01), social support (p = .02), environmental comfort (p = .008), and situational favorableness (p = .006), as defined by the university. Mastery factor also yielded significant difference (p=.02) between zone level and non-zone level players. The university football players were lower than those who play in sepak takraw as demonstration factor and social support of self-confidence. However, in the environmental factors and situational favorableness of self-confidence university athletes who play in soccer are higher than those who play in sepak takraw. Findings of this study could practically provide for the selection and training process of university athletes in competition.