The Effects of Perfectionism and Achievement Goals on Trait Anxiety Among Young Football Players: A Cross-Sectional Study Using Correlation and Regression Analyses

In competitive sport, an athlete’s success is often linked to their physical strength, skill, and overall athletic ability. However, physical talent alone does not fully account for sporting success, as psychological and other personal factors also play a crucial role in achieving high performance. Thus, the present cross-sectional study aimed to examine the relationships between perfectionistic personality characteristics, achievement goal orientations, and trait anxiety among young football players using correlation and regression analyses. Participants consisted of 152 male U16 football players (M = 15.67, SD = 0.54) competing in the official league organized by the Cyprus Turkish Football Federation (CTFF). Data were collected using the Sport Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (SMPS), the 2 × 2 Achievement Goals Questionnaire for Sport (AGQ-S), and the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Pearson’s correlation analyses and simple linear regression models were conducted to examine relationships among variables and to identify significant predictors of trait anxiety. Correlation analyses revealed that trait anxiety was positively associated with concern over mistakes (r = 0.28, p < 0.01), perceived parental pressure (r = 0.17, p < 0.05), and mastery-avoidance goals (r = 0.37, p < 0.01), whereas it was negatively associated with mastery-approach goals (r = −0.18, p < 0.05). Regression analyses indicated that concern over mistakes significantly predicted trait anxiety (β = 0.25, p = 0.003), while perceived parental pressure was not a significant direct predictor (β = 0.10, p = 0.21). In addition, mastery-avoidance goals significantly predicted trait anxiety (β = 0.43, p < 0.001), whereas mastery-approach goals were negatively associated with trait anxiety (β = −0.28, p < 0.001). In conclusion, the findings indicate that perfectionistic concerns and mastery-avoidance goals are key factors associated with higher trait anxiety, whereas mastery-approach orientations may serve as a protective factor among young football players.