Our aim in the present study was to test the efficacy of a 13-week, 19-session psychological intervention program on young soccer players’ competitive anxiety and their sport psychological profiles. Participants were 37 players in the under-15 age category, of which 18 players formed the experimental group (M age = 14.67 years, SD = .48) and 19 players formed the control group (Mage = 14.23 years, SD = .42); this was a quasi-experimental design without random assignment to groups. We had all participants complete the Psychological Inventory of Sport Performance (IPED), the Questionnaire of Psychological Characteristics of Sport Performance (CPRD), and the Competition State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2) before and after the intervention. Results indicated positive effects for the intervention group (but not the control group) on stress control and motivation dimensions of the CPRD, cognitive anxiety and self-confidence on the CSAI-2, and self-confidence and attentional control on the IPED. These results suggest that psychological training for athletes contributes to their improved psychological skills, providing them tools to better adapt to the competitive environment.
AjilchiB.MohebiM.ZareiS.KiselyS. (2022). Effect of a mindfulness programme training on mental toughness and psychological well-being of female athletes. Australasian Psychiatry, 30(3), 352–356. https://doi.org/10.1177/10398562211057075
2.
AndersonR.HanrahanS. J.MallettC. J. (2014). Investigating the optimal psychological state for peak performance in Australian elite athletes. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 26, 318–333. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2014.885915
3.
ArthurR. A.FitzwaterJ.RobertsR.HardyJ.ArthurC. A. (2017). Psychological skills and "the paras": The indirect effects of psychological skills on endurance. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 29, 449–465. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2017.1306728
4.
AtoM.López-GarcíaJ. J.BenaventeA. (2013). A classification system for research designs in psychology. Anales de Psicología/Annals of Psychology, 29(3), 1038–1059.
5.
BellA. F.KnightC. J.LovettV. E.ShearerC. (2022). Understanding elite youth athletes' knowledge and perceptions of sport psychology. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 34(1), 155–177. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2020.1719556
6.
BennettJ.MaynardI. (2017). Performance blocks in sport: Recommendations for treatment and implications for sport psychology practitioners. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action, 8(1), 60–68. https://doi.org/10.1080/21520704.2016.1227414
7.
BreslinG.ShannonS.HaugheyT.DonnellyP.LeaveyG. (2017). A systematic review of interventions to increase awareness of mental health and well-being in athletes, coaches and officials. Systematic Review, 6(177), 177. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-017-0568-6
8.
BrownD. J.FletcherD. (2017). Effects of psychological and psychosocial interventions on sport performance: A meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 47, 77–99. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0552-7
9.
BühlmayerL.BirrerD.RöthlinP.FaudeO.DonathL. (2017). Effects of mindfulness practice on performance-relevant parameters and performance outcomes in sports: A meta-analytical review. Sports Medicine, 47, 2309–2321. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-017-0752-9
10.
CabralL. L.da SilvaC. K.Delisle-RodriguezD.Lima-SilvaA. E.GalanisE.BertolloM.PereiraG. (2023). Motivational self-talk mitigates the harmful impact of mental fatigue on endurance performance. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 36(2), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2023.2208643
11.
CapdevilaL. (1997). Evaluation methodology in sport psychology. In CruzJ. (Ed.), Psicología del Deporte (pp. 111–145). Síntesis.
ChunD. R.LeeM. Y.KimS. W.ChoE. Y.LeeB. H. (2023). The mediated effect of sports confidence on competitive state anxiety and perceived performance of basketball game. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(1), 334. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010334
14.
CohenJ. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.): Erlbaum.
15.
DeanF.KavanaghE.WildingA.ReesT. (2022). An examination of the experiences of practitioners delivering sport psychology services within English premier league soccer academies. Sports, 10(4), 60. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports10040060
16.
Di BellaL.DomaK.SinclairW. H.ConnorJ. D. (2023). The acute effect of various feedback approaches on sprint performance, motivation, and affective mood states in highly trained female athletes: A randomized crossover trial. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 18(3), 313–319. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2022-0320
17.
GaritJ. R.SuritaY. P.DomínguezE. F.MoyaY. S.CastellanosR. B. (2021). Anxiety and psychological variables of sports performance related to injuries in high-performance sportsmen. Apunts Sports Medicine, 56(211), 100358. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apunsm.2021.100358
18.
GimenoF.BucetaJ.M.Pérez-LlantadaM.C. (2001). The questionnaire "psychological characteristics related to sport performance" (CPRD): Psychometric characteristics. Análise Psicológica, 1, 93–133. https://doi.org/10.14417/ap.346
19.
Gómez-LópezM.GonzálezJ.Granero-GallegosA. (2021). Psychological characteristics for sport performance in adolescent players of handball. Journal of sport and health research, 13(3), 393–404.
20.
GrossM.MooreZ. E.GardnerF. L.WolaninA. T.PessR.MarksD. R. (2018). An empirical examination comparing the mindfulness-acceptance-commitment approach and psychological skills training for the mental health and sport performance of female student athletes. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 16(4), 431–451. https://doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2016.1250802
21.
GuicciardiM.PrinzisF. (2021). Effetti del self-talk istruttivo e motivazionale sulle prestazioni cognitive e tecniche di giovani portieri di calcio. In Effetti del self-talk istruttivo e motivazionale sulle prestazioni cognitive e tecniche di giovani portieri di calcio (pp. 1–14).
22.
HairJ. F.BlackW. C.BabinB. J. (2019). Multivariate data analysis. Cengage Learning, EMEA.
23.
HemmerleW.HartleyH. (1973). Computing maximum likelihood estimates for the mixed AOV Model using the w-transformation. Technometrics, 15, 819–831.
24.
Hernández-MendoA. (2006). Questionnaire for the psychological evaluation of sport performance: A complementary study between TCT and TRI. Journal of Sport Psychology, 15(1), 71–93.
25.
Hernández-MendoA.Blanco-VillaseñorA.PastranaJ. L.Morales-SánchezV.Ramos-PérezF. J. (2016). Sagt: New software for generalizability analysis. Revista Iberoamericana de Psicología del Ejercicio y el Deporte, 11, 77–89.
26.
Hernández-MendoA.Morales-SánchezV.PeñalverI. (2014). Replication of the psychometric properties of the psychological inventory of sport performance. Revista de Psicología del Deporte, 23, 311–324.
JaramilloA.Mayorga-LascanoM.Moreta-HerreraR. (2020). Competitive anxiety and self-efficacy in high-performance tennis players before and after a competition. William of Ockham Journal, 18(1), 45–54. https://doi.org/10.21500/22563202.4526
29.
KittlerC.ArnoldM.JekaucD. (2022). Effects of a mindfulness-based intervention on sustained and selective attention in young top-level athletes in a school training setting: A randomized control trial study. The Sport Psychologist, 36(2), 77–88. https://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.2021-0053
30.
Lange-SmithS.CabotJ.CoffeeP.GunnellK.TodD. (2023). The efficacy of psychological skills training for enhancing performance in sport: A review of reviews. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 1(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2023.2168725
31.
LochbaumM.StonerE.HefnerT.CooperS.LaneA. M.TerryP. C. (2022). Sport psychology and performance meta-analyses: A systematic review of the literature. PLoS One, 17(2), 1. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0263408
32.
LoehrJ. E. (1986). Mental toughness training for sports: Achieving athletic excellence: Stephen Greene Press.
33.
LoehrJ. E. (1990). The mental game. Plum Book.
34.
MartensR.BurtonD.VealeyR. S.BumpL. A.SmithD. E. (1990a). Development and validation of the competitive state anxiety intentory-2. In MartensR.VealeyR. S.BurtonD. (Eds.), Competitive anxiety in sport (pp. 127–140). Human Kinetics.
35.
MartensR.VealeyR. S.BurtonD. (1990b). Competitive anxiety in sport. Human Kinetics.
36.
MatusE.MolinoJ.GarcíaG. L. M. (2020). The effect of a psychological intervention program on the sport motivation of soccer players. Iberoamerican journal of exercise and sport psychology, 15(1), 67–73.
37.
McCormickA.MeijenC.AnstissP. A.JonesH. S. (2017). Self-regulation in endurance sports: Theory, research and practice. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 12(1), 235–264. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750984X.2018.1469161
38.
McCormickA.MeijenC.MarcoraS. (2018). Effects of a motivational self-talk intervention for endurance athletes completing an ultramarathon. The Sport Psychologist, 32(1), 42–50. https://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.2017-0018
39.
Mercader-RubioI.Gutiérrez ÁngelN.SilvaS.MoisaoA.Brito-CostaS. (2023). Relationships between somatic anxiety, cognitive anxiety, self-efficacy, and emotional intelligence levels in university physical education students. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1059432. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1059432
40.
Moreno-FernándezI. M.Gómez-EspejoV.Olmedilla-CaballeroB.Ramos-PastranaL. M.Ortega-ToroE.Olmedilla-ZafraA. (2019). Effectiveness of a psychological preparation program in young soccer players. Revista de Psicología Aplicada al Deporte y al Ejercicio Físico, 4(2), 14. https://doi.org/10.5093/rpaedf2019a13
41.
MorillaM.RiveraS.TassiJ. M. (2017). Psychological-integrated training in current soccer methodology. Excelentia Center.
42.
MosleyE.DuncanS.JonesK.HerklotsH.KavanaghE.LabordeS. (2023). A smartphone enabled slow-paced breathing intervention in dual career athletes. Journal of Sport Psychology. in Action. https://doi.org/10.1080/21520704.2023.2194256
43.
OlivaresE.M.LópezJ.J.Garcés de los FayosE.J. (2016). Psychological training in olympic shooting: A case study. Journal of Sport Psychology, 25, 131–135.
44.
OliverA.McCarthyP. J.BurnsL. (2021). Teaching athletes to understand their attention is teaching them to concentrate. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action, 12(3), 196–210. https://doi.org/10.1080/21520704.2020.1838980
45.
OlmedillaA.CánovasM.Olmedilla-CaballeroB.OrtegaE. (2021). Psychological characteristics relevant to sport performance: Gender differences in youth soccer. Cuadernos de Psicología del Deporte, 21(2), 127–137. https://doi.org/10.6018/cpd.417711
46.
OlmedillaA.Moreno-FernándezI. M.Gómez-EspejoV.Robles-PalazónF. J.VerdúI.OrtegaE. (2019). Psychological intervention program to control stress in youth soccer players. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2260. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02260
47.
OlmedillaA.RubioV. J.OrtegaE.García-MasA. (2017). Effectiveness of a stress management pilot program aimed at reducing the incidence of sports injuries in young football (soccer) players. Physical Therapy in Sport, 24, 53–59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ptsp.2016.09.003
48.
PaganiE.GavazzoniN.BernardelliG.MalacarneM.SolaroN.GiustiE.CastelnuovoG.LuciniD. (2023). Psychological intervention based on mental relaxation to manage stress in female junior elite soccer team: Improvement in cardiac autonomic control, perception of stress and overall health. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(2), 942. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20020942
49.
Palicio MayoralR.Rodríguez-MartínezD.León-ZarceñoE. (2022). Psychological intervention programs with athletes for performance improvement: A current review. Revista de Psicología Aplicada al Deporte y al Ejercicio Físico, 17(1), 94. https://doi.org/10.5093/rpadef2022a6
50.
PettersenS. D.AdolfsenF.MartinussenM. (2022). Psychological factors and performance in women's football: A systematic review. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 32, 161–175. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.14043
51.
PintoM. F.VázquezN. (2013). Competitive state anxiety and coping strategies: Their relationship with performance in an Argentine sample of amateur golf players. Revista de Psicología del Deporte, 22, 47–52.
52.
ReigalR. E.González-GuirvalF.Morillo BaroJ. P.Morales-SánchezV.JuárezRuiz de MierR.Hernández-MendoA. (2019). Effects of a computerized training on attentional capacity of young soccer players. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2279. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02279
53.
ReigalR. E.Vázquez-DizJ. A.Morillo-BaroJ. P.Hernández-MendoA.Morales-SánchezV. (2020). Psychological profile, competitive anxiety, moods and self-efficacy in beach handball players. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(1), 241. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17010241
54.
RomeasT.GuldnerA.FaubertJ. (2016). 3D-Multiple Object Tracking training task improves passing decision-making accuracy in soccer players. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 22, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2015.06.002
55.
SalomonV.MalikF. (2021). Psychological skills and performance efficacy in hockey players: The mediating role of sportsmanship. FWU Journal os Social Sciences, 15(2), 172–188. https://doi.org/10.51709/19951272/Summer-2/10
56.
SAS Institute. (1999). User’s guide (8th ed.). SAS Institute.
57.
SchlotzhauerS. D.LittellR. (1997). SAS system for elementary statistical analysis. SAS Institute Inc.
58.
SearleS.CasellaG.McCullochC. (1992). Variance components. John Wiley & Sons.
59.
ShavelsonR. J.WebbN. M.RowleyG. L. (1989). Generalizability theory. American Psychologist, 44(6), 922–932.
60.
SouissiM. A.ElghoulY.SouissiH.MasmoudiL.AmmarA.SouissiN. (2023). The effects of three correction strategies of errors on the snatch technique in 10-12-year-old children: A randomized controlled trial. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. 37(6), 1218–1224. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000003707
61.
TassiJ. M.MatizS. R.CabezasM. M. (2018). Psychological-integrated training in Soccer through training tasks. Journal of Psychology Applied to Sport and Physical Exercise, 3(1), 5. https://doi.org/10.5093/rpadef2018a4
62.
ThomasO.ThrowerS. N.LaneA.ThomasJ. (2021). Types, sources, and debilitating factors of sport confidence in elite early adolescent academy soccer players. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 33(2), 192–217. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2019.1630863
63.
VélezM.Jiménez-TorresM. G.NavarrónE.Godoy-IzquierdoD.Ramírez-MolinaM. J. (2017). Implementation of a psychological intervention in grassroots soccer, athletes' subjective satisfaction and experiences of passion, perceived competence and sport commitment in relation to future practice intention. Iberoamerican Journal of Exercise and Sport Psychology, 12(1), 59–69.
WilliamsonO.SwannC.BennettK. J.BirdM. D.GoddardS. G.SchweickleM. J.JackmanP. C. (2022). The performance and psychological effects of goal setting in sport: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750984X.2022.2116723
66.
World Medical Association. (2013). World medical association declaration of helsinki: ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects. Journal of the American Medical Association, 310, 2191–2194. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2013.281053
67.
XuNaYanW.SunM.LiR.WangY.ChiL. (2023). Applying skill-oriented and spirit-oriented psychological training to Chinese national archery team athletes: A single-case mixed-methods study. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology. Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2023.2168724
68.
ZadkhoshS. M.ZandiH. G.GhorbannejadM. (2019). The effects of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) on cognitive skills in young soccer players. Exercise and Quality of Life, 11, 5–11.
