Integrating the Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment framework with Self-Determination Theory principles to promote Need-Supportive Sport Coaching.
Psychology of sport and exercise May 31, 2025 Tomer Gutman, Dalit Lev-Arey, Amihai Gottlieb et al. 3 citations
A coaching program that combines mindfulness, acceptance, and commitment principles with self-determination theory helped coaches become more supportive of athletes' psychological needs. In two phases, 12 youth basketball coaches and 4 competitive climbing coaches first, then 10 basketball coaches later, completed eight weekly sessions of mindfulness exercises, values exploration, and acceptance training. The second phase also included strategies for supporting athletes' needs. Interviews with the coaches revealed three themes: they looked forward to the sessions, they gained self-awareness and self-regulation (pausing to consider how to behave), and they developed better relational skills and sensitivity to athletes' experiences, promoting athletes' flourishing. The findings suggest potential for this integrated approach, though the homogeneous sample calls for further research.