Emotional awareness and regulation are often associated with improved performance in sports, which raises the question as to the role of emotional intelligence in athletes` optimal performance states. The relationship between emotional intelligence and components of competitive state anxiety levels among a sample of senior-level South African female field-hockey players (n=60, age=21.57±3.65) was determined. The Emotional Intelligence Scale and the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 were applied to collect the data. Descriptive analyses revealed an above-average emotional intelligence and a low somatic/cognitive anxiety, with self-confidence being low to moderate, among players. Direction of cognitive and somatic anxiety was neutral, while self-confidence levels were facilitative to performance. Pearson`s correlation analyses revealed positive associations between players` management of their own and others` emotions and self-confidence, as well as a negative association with cognitive anxiety. A positive association between total emotional intelligence and self-confidence was revealed with results from the simple linear regression analyses, confirming the significant influence emotional intelligence has on players` competitive state anxiety experiences. Essentially, emotional intelligence intervention in aid of controlling cognitive anxiety and improving and maintaining self-confidence is advocated in coaching and sport psychology practice.
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