Cross-sectional and correlational research shows that dispositional mindfulness (i.e., one’s inherent propensity to be mindful) may be associated with factors conducive to sport performance such as flow and anxiety reduction ( Noetel et al., 2019 ). In one of the first studies in sport
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A Mixed-Method Study of Athletes’ Experiences With Mindfulness Across Stages of Readiness
Thomas O. Minkler, Sam Zizzi, Blake Costalupes, and D. Jake Follmer
Being Mindful of Perfectionism and Performance among Collegiate Gymnasts: A Person-Centered Approach
Erika D. Van Dyke, Aaron Metzger, and Sam J. Zizzi
Researchers studying mindfulness and acceptance-based evidence among athletes support a cautious, yet optimistic, view regarding the efficacy of such approaches in the context of sport (e.g., McAlarnen & Longshore, 2017 ; Noetel, Ciarrochi, Van Zanden, & Lonsdale, 2019 ; Sappington & Longshore
Metacognitions and Mindfulness in Athletes: An Investigation on the Determinants of Flow
Steven Love, Lee Kannis-Dymand, and Geoff P. Lovell
, enables the unification of action and experience. The concept of mindfulness may play such a role in facilitating flow. This is because high levels of awareness, attentional control and autotelic predispositions are key psychological factors for experiencing flow, and such factors can be developed through
Mindful Engagement Mediates the Relationship Between Motivational Climate Perceptions and Coachability for Male High School Athletes
Susumu Iwasaki, Mary D. Fry, and Candace M. Hogue
/task-involving climate elicited far more adaptive anxiety-based and motivational responses. This body of work implies there are yet to be explored relationships between the motivational climate, psychological skill use, and athletes’ adaptive responses to performance stressors (e.g., mindfulness; Aherne, Moran
An Independent Examination of the Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement Protocol in National Collegiate Athletic Association Swimming and Diving
Jason Kostrna and Aaron D’Addario
As the popularity, refinement, and effectiveness of mindfulness trainings in general psychology grows, a parallel paradigm shift is occurring within applied sport and performance psychology ( Baltzell & Summers, 2017 ). Particularly, the shift within applied sport psychology is to add mindfulness
Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement: Randomized Controlled Trial of a Mental Training Program With Collegiate Athletes
Carol R. Glass, Claire A. Spears, Rokas Perskaudas, and Keith A. Kaufman
acceptance of unpleasant internal states ( Gardner & Moore, 2004 , 2007 ; Kaufman, Glass, & Arnkoff, 2009 ), which is a central tenet of mindfulness-based interventions. Mindfulness skills appear especially well-matched to sport performance enhancement. As Gordhamer ( 2014 ) contended, “The benefits of
Mindfulness and Flow in Elite Athletes
Stuart Cathcart, Matt McGregor, and Emma Groundwater
Mindfulness has been found to be related to improved athletic performance and propensity to achieve flow states. The relationship between mindfulness and flow has only recently been examined in elite athletes. To build on this literature, we administered the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) and the Dispositional Flow Scale to 92 elite athletes. Psychometric analyses supported the validity of the FFMQ. Males scored higher than females on the FFMQ facet of Nonjudging of Inner Experience. Athletes from individual and pacing sports scored higher on the FFMQ facet of Observing than athletes from team-based and nonpacing sports. Correlations between mindfulness and flow were stronger in athletes from individual and pacing sports compared with team-based and nonpacing sports. Mindfulness correlated with different facets of flow in males compared with females. The results support the use of the five-facet mindfulness construct in elite athletes and suggest the relationship between mindfulness and flow possibly may vary by gender and sport type in this population.
Collegiate Athletes’ Expectations and Experiences With Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement
Erin G. Mistretta, Carol R. Glass, Claire A. Spears, Rokas Perskaudas, Keith A. Kaufman, and Dennis Hoyer
Although mindfulness training for athletes is an area of increasing interest, few studies have focused on the qualitative experiences of athletes in such programs. Before beginning six sessions of mindful sport performance enhancement (MSPE) training, 45 mixed-sport collegiate athletes reported what they hoped and expected to get from the training, and responded afterward to open-ended questions about their experiences. Participants’ responses were coded for themes, with high interrater reliability. Athletes initially hoped to gain psychological benefits in both sport and everyday life, such as relaxation and less stress or anxiety, better emotion regulation, mental toughness, and self-awareness, as well as sport performance improvement. Overall, they found MSPE to be a positive experience and reported many of the same benefits that they expected. Participants also provided constructive feedback and recommendations for future MSPE training. Finally, there was evidence to suggest that athletes’ expectations predicted similar improvements in outcome measures.
Attitudes and Opinions of Female High School Athletes About Sports-Focused Mindfulness Training and Practices
Douglas Worthen and James K. Luiselli
Female high school athletes playing volleyball and soccer (N = 32) responded to a social validity questionnaire that inquired about their experiences with a sportfocused mindfulness training program. On average, the student-athletes rated most highly the effects of mindfulness training on emotional awareness and attention focusing, the contribution of mindfulness toward team play, the benefit of having coaches learn mindfulness skills, and the application of mindfulness to other sports. There were dissimilar ratings between the volleyball and soccer student-athletes concerning use of mindfulness when preparing for and during games. Most of the formal mindfulness practices taught during the training program were rated as being helpful to very helpful. We discuss factors influencing these findings and implications for mindfulness–sport performance research.
Mindfulness and Its Relationship With Perceived Stress, Affect, and Burnout in Elite Junior Athletes
Henrik Gustafsson, Therése Skoog, Paul Davis, Göran Kenttä, and Peter Haberl
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and burnout and whether this relationship is mediated by perceived stress, negative affect, and positive affect in elite junior athletes. Participants were 233 (123 males and 107 females) adolescent athletes, ranging in age from 15–19 years (M = 17.50; SD = 1.08). Bivariate correlations revealed that mindfulness had a significant negative relationship with both perceived stress and burnout. To investigate mediation, we employed nonparametric bootstrapping analyses. These analyses indicated that positive affect fully mediated links between mindfulness and sport devaluation. Further, positive affect and negative affect partially mediated the relationships between mindfulness and physical/emotional exhaustion, as well as between mindfulness and reduced sense of accomplishment. The results point toward mindfulness being negatively related to burnout in athletes and highlight the role of positive affect. Future research should investigate the longitudinal effect of dispositional mindfulness on stress and burnout.
