ETHIOPIAN SOCCER REFEREES’ EXPERIENCE OF THREAT, AGGRESSION, BURNOUT, STRESS AND THEIR COPING STRATEGIES, ETHIOPIA, 2018/2019

Abstract

Soccer is the most popular sport worldwide and attracts both the greatest number of participants, as well as spectators. In Ethiopia, soccer is also one of the most popular sport. In soccer history, we have witnessed different threats and aggression on match referees. In recent years, in Ethiopia, we had heard and watching those kinds of inappropriate behaviors directed at referees. Due to this it is expected referees are experiencing stress and burnout. There was a multitude of investigations dealing with sports fans’ aggression, threats, stress, and burnout in sports, but there is a lack of studies focusing on soccer referees exposed to threats, aggression, stress, and burnout. The experience of their coping strategies from these kinds of problem should be identified to alleviate the cases. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate Ethiopian Soccer Referees’ Experience of Threat, Aggression, Burnout, Stress and their Coping strategies, Ethiopia, 2018/2019.

The Phenomenological qualitative study design was used from December 15,2018, to January 14, 2018. The study included 45 present and former Ethiopian federal and international level referees by  using purposive and snowball sampling. Data was collected by using in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. A descriptive qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews and focus group discussion involving those study participants was carried out to find out how referees experience threats, aggression, stress, and burnout directed tosoccer referees by using a statistical software called NVivo.

All Ethiopian soccer referees had an experience of threat and aggression. Verbal aggression was the most aggression type that the Ethiopian soccer referees experienced.