Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement in Youth Soccer: A Randomized Active-Control Trial of Objective Performance Under Pressure and Psychological Outcomes

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.