The Effect of Mindfulness training (MSPE) on Competitive Anxiety and enhancement of Performance in Basketball Players

Sports and specially sport competitions cause anxiety in athletes. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of mindfulness intervention on competitive anxiety and performance in basketball free throw skill. The method of the present study was quasi-experimental with pretest-posttest design with control group. Among 19 to 23 years old basketball players of Tehran, 24 athletes participated in this study, which were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental group practice.MSPE protocol for six sessions And no intervention was performed in the control group. Data were collected through Competitive State Anxiety Inventory, Sport competition Anxiety Test and the three-valued scale of the AAHPERD basketball shoot and were analyzed using Univariate and multivariate analysis of covariance. The results showed that mindfulness intervention reduces competitive anxiety and improves athletic performance in basketball athletes. Based on the research findings, it can be said that mindfulness interventions are one of the effective methods in improving athletes' performance and sport psychologists and coaches can use this method as a simple and low-cost method to reduce anxiety and improve athletes' performance.