The effect of competition location on individual athlete performance and psychological states

Objective. To examine the performance and pre-competition psychological states of individual sport athletes in relation to competition location. It was hypothesized that skiers would perform better when competing at home. Self-reports of state anxiety were expected to be lower and self-confidence higher prior to home races compared to away. Design. Within-subjects design to examine athletes’ performance and pre-competition psychological states at home and away competitions. Methods. Junior alpine skiers (N=26) completed the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 approximately one-half hour prior to competitions that were held at home and away. Objective (race points) and subjective (coach ratings) measures of performance were also obtained. Results. Contrary to hypotheses, no differences between home and away performances were observed (i.e. no home advantage). Athletes reported no differences in pre-competition state anxiety or self-confidence at home compared to away. Conclusions. Results bring into question the reliability of the home advantage when examined from the perspective of individual athletes competing in individual sports and highlight the need for further research on the association between game location and competitors’ psychological states.  2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.