Sharpening the Mental Edge in Ice-Hockey
Impact of Psychological Skills Training and Mindfulness Intervention on Athletic Coping Skills, Resilience, Stress, Mindfulness and Perceptions of the Intervention with a Men’s Collegiate Ice-hockey Team
Keywords:
ice-hockey, collegiate athletes, psychological skills training, mindfulness, athletic coping skills, resilience, stressAbstract
The sport of ice-hockey is known for its dynamic nature requiring not only a versatile combination of athleticism, but also the effective management of mental factors. Factors such as resilience, effective coping and stress management are considered key components of elite athletic performance and overall functioning in life. This mixed-method study investigated the effects of a season-long psychological skills training (PST) and mindfulness intervention on the athletic coping skills, resilience, stress, mindfulness and athletes’ perceptions of the intervention with a Division I men’s collegiate ice-hockey team (n = 30; ages 18-23). Quantitative data analysis consisting of Repeated measures ANOVA revealed statistically significant increases in athletic coping skills, resilience and mindfulness as measured by the pre-test, mid-test and post-test. Qualitative results indicated positive and beneficial perceptions of the intervention on not only performance-related aspects of ice-hockey, but also to different aspects of athletes’ life. The results suggest that a season-long integrated PST and mindfulness based intervention could be beneficial in helping athletes improve factors related to enhanced athletic performance and life in general.
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