Personality Trait Changes in Athletic Training Students during Their University Career: Effects of Academic Stress or COVID-19 Pandemic?

Studies about personality traits have shown a link between emotional stability and coaches’ success. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of university education period on the big five personality traits in sports training students according to gender and the type of sports practice chosen for their vocational training process as sport coaches. Method: A total of 146 Sports Training students completed the adapted NEO-FFI reduced version assessment twice: first semester in August 2018 and at the beginning of the eighth semester in February 2022 (COVID-19 pandemic appeared during this period). Results: Comparing the scores obtained for the different personality traits, it was observed that the level of neuroticism increased in the last semester (Mpost = 8.12 vs. Mpre = 5.77), while the level of extroversion (Mpost = 14.40 vs. Mpre = 15.97) and consciousness (Mpost = 18.14 vs. Mpre = 19.18) decreased. On the other hand, female students showed higher scores in kindness (15.90 ± 0.87) than men (13.58 ± 0.56) (p = 0.029) at the end of their academic semester. Finally, analysing sport discipline chosen by students, team sports showed a higher score in trait neuroticism (post = 10.47 ± 1.43 vs. pre = 7.73 ± 1.11, p = 0.047) and lower scores in extroversion (post = 13.33 ± 1.01 vs. pre = 16.27 ± 1.17, p = 0.009) than individual sports at the end of the academic semester. Conclusions: Academic stress during the last semester of their bachelor’s degree, as well as the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic could be factors that influenced students’ personality traits concerning neuroticism, extroversion, and consciousness or responsibility.