Effects of brief online mindful sport performance enhancement (MSPE) on mindfulness, psychological skills, and performance in student-athletes: A mixed design study

PurposeThe current study investigated the impact of a brief online Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement (MSPE) on mindfulness, psychological skills, and performance in student-athletes.MethodA total of 30 participants were assigned to either an experimental group (M age = 20.04, SD = 3.06) or a control group (M age = 20.00, SD = 2.46), with 15 student-athletes in each group. All participants responded to the Mindfulness Inventory for Sport (MIS), the Athletic Coping Skills Inventory-28 (ACSI-28), and the Self-Rated Performance Inventory as pre-tests and post-tests. Additionally, a subset of ten experimental group participants participated in a focus group interview.Results2 x 2 mixed-design ANOVAs revealed significant improvements in athletic coping skills, coping with adversity, confidence and achievement motivation, and performance. However, no significant effects were observed for mindfulness, coachability, concentration, goal setting/mental preparation, peaking under pressure, or freedom from worry. Qualitative findings from the focus group interview indicated enhancements in concentration, emotion regulation, sleep quality, awareness, and mindfulness.ConclusionIn conclusion, the six-day MSPE intervention holds promise for enhancing mindfulness, psychological skills, and performance in student-athletes.