The Effect of a Mindfulness-Based Training on Soccer Skills and Mental Focus in Male Students Aged 10 to 14.
Mohammad Yousefi, Razieh Khanmohammadi
International journal of school health July 2026 DOI: 10.30476/intjsh.2026.107779.1537 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental study with pre-test-post-test design and control group Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 40 |
| Population | Novice male football players aged 10-14 in Miandoab County, Iran |
| Interventions | Mindfulness-based training Football skill training |
| Duration | 4-week intervention, three sessions per week |
| Measures | Mindfulness Inventory for Sport (MIS) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Athletes Exercise Motor skills Psychomotor performance Soccer |
| Key findings | Mindfulness-based training combined with football skill drills significantly improved mindfulness, shooting accuracy, and passing accuracy in novice male players aged 10-14, with moderate to large effect sizes, while the control group showed no significant changes. |
Abstract
Mindfulness-based training (MBT) can improve cognitive function, emotional regulation, and motor performance in sports settings. Given the importance of both technical skills and attentional abilities in soccer performance, this study aimed to investigate the impact of MBT on shooting, passing, and mindfulness in male novice players aged 10-14. This quasi-experimental study employed a pre-test-post-test design with a control group and was conducted from June to August 2024 at the indoor sports complex of Miandoab County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. Forty novice male football players aged 10 to 14 years were recruited using a convenience sampling method and randomly allocated to either the intervention or control group through simple randomization using sealed, opaque envelopes. The intervention group received mindfulness-based training (MBT) combined with football skill training, whereas the control group received football skill training alone. The intervention period lasted four weeks, during which both groups trained three times per week. Each session for the intervention group consisted of 20 minutes of football skill practice followed by 20 minutes of MBT exercises, while participants in the control group completed 20 minutes of football skill practice only. Shooting skill, passing skill, and mindfulness, assessed using the Mindfulness Inventory for Sport (MIS), were measured at baseline and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in SPSS version 26. The intervention group showed significant improvements in mindfulness (Pre: 58.50±15.22, Post: 65.75±12.47, P<0.001), football shooting accuracy (Pre: 47.95±9.10, Post: 58.85±13.51, P=0.012), and passing accuracy (Pre: 7.00±1.55, Post: 9.65±3.01, P=0.028) compared with the control group, which showed no significant changes. Between-group analysis controlling for baseline scores confirmed these differences (mindfulness P=0.001, shooting P=0.001, passing P=0.001) with moderate to large effect sizes (partial η²=0.30-0.87), highlighting the practical significance of mindfulness training on mental and technical performance in novice male players. Mindfulness-based training combined with football skill drills significantly enhances shooting and passing performance, as well as mindfulness levels, in novice male football players aged 10 to 14. Given the critical developmental stage and the school-based context of youth sports, integrating MBT practices into school football training programs can effectively improve both technical skills and mental focus. Coaches and educators are encouraged to implement mindfulness interventions as a practical, accessible approach to support the holistic development of young athletes within school environments.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |