Social Anxiety and Athletic Performance of Student-Athletes in Selected Tertiary Schools in Tanauan City, Batangas

This study examines the status of internal well-being—or heartiness—among student-athletes, focusing particularly on their psychological stability through engagement in sports. While athletic participation often contributes positively to mental health, some athletes may experience performance-related challenges such as panic attacks and social anxiety. Social anxiety, in particular, involves feelings of fear, embarrassment, and heightened self-consciousness during social interactions, which can negatively affect athletic and academic performance. Grounded in behavioral, psychological, cognitive, and humanistic theories, this research seeks to explore the level of social anxiety among student-athletes in selected tertiary schools in Tanauan City, Batangas. The study aims to lay a theoretical and practical foundation for interventions that enhance student-athletes' mental resilience and performance. The study is guided by an input-process-output (IPO) model: the input includes the demographic profile of the respondents (age, sex, years of experience, sports event, and athletic performance) and their level of social anxiety (confidence, humiliation, subordination, and consciousness). The process involves administering surveys, data collection, and statistical analysis. The output focuses on the development of a targeted intervention program. Using a descriptive-correlational research design and a validated survey instrument, data were gathered from 114 student-athletes. Results show that while confidence scored high among respondents, areas such as humiliation and consciousness scored lower, indicating the need for support in handling public judgment and social pressures. Significant differences in social anxiety levels were found in relation to the type of sport (team vs. individual), but not by age, sex, years of experience, or athletic performance. Based on these findings, an intervention program was proposed to address identified areas of concern. The program includes general strategies applicable to all athletes and sport-specific approaches to strengthen emotional resilience, self-confidence, and positive social engagement. This study highlights the importance of integrating psychological support into sports programs to enhance the well-being and performance of student-athletes.