Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement in Youth Soccer: A Randomized Active-Control Trial of Objective Performance Under Pressure and Psychological Outcomes.
Alireza Farsi, Javad Shakerd, Ebrahim Moteshareie, Erfan Sedighi
Journal of sport & exercise psychology May 5, 2026 DOI: 10.1123/jsep.2026-0002 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 52 |
| Population | Male academy outfield soccer players (youth) |
| Interventions | Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement (MSPE) education-based active attention control |
| Duration | 6-week intervention; assessments pre, post, and 3-month follow-up |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Aggression Competitive behavior Attention Soccer Adolescent Male Athletic performance Performance anxiety Flow Competitive anxiety |
| Key findings | MSPE improved video-coded performance under pressure at posttest and remained superior at 3-month follow-up compared with an education-based active attention control. Flow increased and somatic anxiety decreased, with smaller effects for cognitive anxiety and aggression; the aggression effect was not maintained. Exploratory mediation analyses provided no clear evidence that changes in psychological variables explained the performance gains. |
Abstract
This randomized controlled trial examined whether Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement (MSPE) improves objective performance under pressure, increases flow, and reduces competitive anxiety and aggression in youth soccer. Fifty-two male academy outfield players were randomized to 6 weeks of MSPE or an education-based active attention control. Assessments were completed pre, post, and 3-month follow-up; 90-min matches were framed as selection-relevant trials and video-coded by blinded raters. Mixed analyses of variance showed a significant Group × Time interaction for under pressure performance (p < .001): MSPE improved at posttest and remained superior at follow-up. Relative to education-based active attention control, flow increased and somatic anxiety decreased, with smaller effects for cognitive anxiety and aggression; aggression was not maintained. Findings were robust to sensitivity analyses using linear mixed-effects model. Exploratory mediation analyses provided no clear evidence that changes in psychological variables explained performance gains. Overall, MSPE offers a practical, field-ready approach for supporting under pressure performance and related psychological outcomes in youth soccer.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cites 4
- Punishment on Pause: Preliminary Evidence That Mindfulness Training Modifies Neural Responses in a Reactive Aggression Task Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience July 23, 2021
- A systematic review of the mindful sport performance enhancement program International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology July 12, 2025
- Collegiate Athletes' Expectations and Experiences with Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement. Journal of clinical sport psychology September 2017
- Mindfulness Mechanisms in Sports: Mediating Effects of Rumination and Emotion Regulation on Sport-Specific Coping Mindfulness May 3, 2017