The Effectiveness of Foot Reflexology Massage on Pre-Tournament Fear in Artistic Gymnasts

Sports competitions are intense tests that evaluate a player's abilities, leading to an increased interest in improving overall performance. Players face numerous situations and stimuli that can cause anxiety and impact their behaviors, abilities, and relationships. During training, especially the pre-competition stage, players often use massage as a common technique, symbolizing the culmination of their efforts. There is a need for modern methods to overcome competition anxiety and enhance players' performance. Massage reflex points in the feet are one way to feel comfortable and relaxed. It is the art of manipulating soft tissues to improve system functions and reduce fatigue effects. Research has addressed pre-tournament anxiety, but studies have not addressed contraindications, such as foot infections, bleeding, wounds, dislocation, purulent infections, and rheumatic infections. This study sheds more light on the effectiveness of the technique of tournament fear foot reflexology massage on pre-artistic gymnasts.