Effect of a mindfulness programme training to prevent the sport injury and improve the performance of semi-professional soccer players.

OBJECTIVE: Mindfulness improves psychological outcomes. We examined whether greater mindfulness scores were associated with reduced injury rates in soccer players, as well as improved performance at both the individual and team level. METHOD: This was a parallel-group, pre- and post-test, randomised controlled pilot trial. Forty-five male amateur soccer players from Tehran, Iran, were randomly assigned into experimental (n=23) and control groups (n=22). Outcomes were scores on the mindfulness sport inventory, as well as injury rates and recovery as assessed by a physiotherapist using standardised criteria. Expert observers assessed the effect on individual and team performance. Data were analysed using mixed analysis of variance and, where indicated, its non-parametric alternative, the Friedman test. RESULTS: Significantly greater mindfulness scores in the intervention group were associated with both reduced injury and improved performance. CONCLUSION: Mindfulness training shows promise in preventing injury and improving performance. The intervention could be applied to other sports and be helpful in clinical settings given the importance of exercise in promoting psychological well-being.

Applying mindfulness training to enhance the mental toughness and emotional intelligence of amateur basketball players.

OBJECTIVES: Mindfulness is a proven treatment in clinical settings. Our objective was to examine the feasibility and effect of a mindfulness-training program on the mental resilience and emotional intelligence of amateur basketball players. METHODS: This was a parallel-group, pre- and post- test, randomised controlled trial. Thirty male amateur male basketball players from Tehran, Iran, were assigned randomly into experimental and control groups (n = 15 each). Outcomes were measured using the mindfulness sport inventory, mental toughness (MT) questionnaire and emotional intelligence questionnaire. Data were analysed using ANCOVA and MANCOVA. RESULTS: Mindfulness scores were significantly greater in the intervention group than in the controls following training. The intervention also increased overall MT and all of the component sub scores. The same applied to emotional intelligence and all of its components. CONCLUSIONS: These findings may have implications on sport mindfulness training in increasing the MT and emotional intelligence of athletes.