Integrating the Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment framework with Self-Determination Theory principles to promote Need-Supportive Sport Coaching.

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.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Need-supportive sport coaching, rooted in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), aims to fulfill athletes' psychological needs, enhancing both performance and well-being. However, existing interventions aim to foster it, often take educational position and fail to address the emotional challenges faced by coaches. This study introduces the Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment (MAC) framework as a foundation for fostering a Need-Supportive Coaching style, based on a reflective thematic qualitative analysis of coaches' experiences. In Phase 1, 12 youth basketball coaches and four competitive climbing coaches participated in a MAC-based intervention program, incorporating its principles into their coaching practices. Insights from this phase informed Phase 2, which involved 10 basketball coaches in a MAC-based intervention integrated with SDT principles, conceptualized as The Mindful Coach program. Both interventions consisted of eight weekly sessions focusing on mindfulness exercises, personal values exploration, and acceptance training, with the second phase also including strategies to support athletes' psychological needs. A qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews generated three core themes: (1) contextual factors supporting the intervention's impact ("I was actually looking forward to the sessions"), (2) enhanced self-awareness and self-regulation ("I pause and think about how I want to behave"), and (3) improved relational skills and sensitivity to athletes' experiences ("Promoting athletes' flourishing"). These findings highlight the potential of integrating MAC and SDT principles to enhance sport coaching. However, the homogeneous sample in this study underscores the need for further exploration.