Mind training for young athletes: could it be the key to better performance?
NCT ID NCT07771972
First seen Aug 19, 2026 · Last updated Aug 20, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests whether an eight-week life skills training program can reduce anxiety and improve football performance in non-elite adolescent players. About 160 players aged 14 to 17 will be randomly assigned to either the training or their usual practice. The study measures changes in cognitive anxiety and football skills like passing and shooting accuracy, with follow-up assessments four weeks after the program ends.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- An eight-week behavioral life skills training program covering goal setting, emotional regulation, problem solving, and teamwork.
- What this could lead to
- If effective, this program could offer a simple, non-drug way to help young athletes manage anxiety and improve their game.
- What could go wrong
- This is a relatively small, early-stage study, and results may not apply to all athletes. The program's success depends on attendance and individual response.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 160 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Aug 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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14 to 17 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 14 to 17 years at enrollment. * Current membership in a non-elite/non-professional football team. * At least one year of prior football participation. * Regular participation in team football training. * Ability and willingness to attend study assessments and, if allocated to the intervention, the life skills training sessions. * Written informed consent from a parent or legal guardian and age-appropriate assent from the adolescent participant before study participation. Exclusion Criteria: * Current membership in a national football team. * Current professional football contract. * Current membership in a first-tier professional football academy. * Any medical, musculoskeletal, or psychological condition that, in the judgment of the study team, would make participation in football-performance testing or the behavioral intervention unsafe or inappropriate. * Inability to complete baseline assessment or comply with essential study procedures.
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As listed by the trial registrant
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How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
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