The Effect of Life Kinetic Exercises on Mental Toughness and Basic Motor Skills in Young Male Football Players

This study aimed to investigate the effects of Life Kinetik exercises, applied in addition to regular football training, on athletes’ mental toughness and basic motor skills. Life Kinetik exercises have recently gained attention for their positive influence on performance, skill acquisition speed, and the development of coordinative abilities. The study included 20 licensed male football players aged 10 to 14. Participants engaged in a training program that incorporated Life Kinetik exercises three times per week alongside their regular football training for a period of eight weeks. Assessments of basic motor skills and mental training levels were conducted before and after the intervention using the Mental Training Inventory in Sports (MTIS) developed by Yarayan and İlhan (2018). Data were analyzed using SPSS software, with the significance level set at p < 0.05. Analysis revealed statistically significant improvements in flexibility, skill coordination, shuttle run, dominant hand grip strength, and 30-meter sprint performance between pre-test and post-test measurements (p < 0.05). No significant changes were observed in body weight (p > 0.05). Concerning mental toughness, a significant improvement was detected in the mental visualization sub-dimension (p < 0.05), whereas no significant changes occurred in the total mental training score or in the sub-dimensions of basic mental skills, mental performance skills, interpersonal skills, and self-talk (p > 0.05). In conclusion, the addition of Life Kinetik exercises to regular football training enhanced basic motor skills and certain aspects of mental training in young male football players aged 10–14.