Perception of the Flow Dimensions and Influence of the Variable Sex in School Handball Athletes: A Cross-sectional Study

The type of sport and the sex of the player are among the variables that can influence the flow state in an athletic competition. However, as there are few studies on the manifestation of flow in school handball athletes, it is not possible to determine definitively which dimensions are present more frequently and exactly what the sex differences might be. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to analyze which flow dimensions are perceived by school handball athletes and to verify the influence of sex on the perception of these dimensions. Participants in this study were 110 young school handball athletes, 55 females and 55 males, with a mean age of 16 +/- 1 and 16 +/- 1 years, respectively. For data collection, a sociodemographic questionnaire and the predisposition to flow scale (FSS-2) were used. The results show that the autotelic experience, clear goals, and intense concentration were more perceived, while the least perceived dimension was action-attention fusion. In addition, it was observed that the dimensions clear goals, intense concentration, and control were more perceived by men than by women. It is concluded that school handball athletes have a high perception of the autotelic experience. They feel focused and have some clarity about their goals and objectives. However, they presented low perceptions of the action-attention fusion dimension. Finally, male athletes are sure about what they need to do, keep their attention focused on the activity, and can better manage and deal with the situation they are going through than their female peers.