Designing and compiling mental knowledge management strategies and its effectiveness on the psychological characteristics of teenage football players in pre-season: a research study

Subject Areas : Innovation in Sports Management

fahimeh sepehri ¹ (PhD candidate in Motor Behavior, Departmentof Physical Education and Sports Sciences, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran)
rokhsareh badami ² (Associate Professor of Motor Behavior, Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran)
zohreh meshkati ³ (Associate Professor of Motor Behavior, Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran)

Received: 2023-10-08 Accepted : 2023-12-16 Published : 2023-02-20

Keywords: Football, teenager, Mental knowledge, action research,

Abstract :

The purpose of this research was to design and compile mental knowledge management strategies and its effectiveness on the psychological characteristics of teenage football players in the pre-season. For this purpose, 21 male adolescent athletes with an age range of 11 to 13 years from a specialized football academy that played in the premier league of Isfahan cities were selected as participants in this study. This study was qualitative from the point of view of method, action research and the method of data collection. For this purpose, data were collected using reflective diaries, researcher's observations and notes, informal conversations with the teacher, and semi-structured interviews with the teacher and parents. The collected data were carefully implemented and analysed using the qualitative content analysis method. The findings of the research were placed in 7 inclusive categories (lifestyle, goal setting, relaxation, visualization, pre-performance and competition routines, team cohesion - empathy and mindfulness). The results showed that the formulation of mental knowledge management strategies is different based on the needs of the athletes and the duration of the pre-season. Since it is important to pay attention to individual needs and the duration of the pre-season for the intervention of mental skill programs for athletes; Therefore, it is necessary that coaches, psychologists, sports managers pay attention to environmental and individual factors to develop an effective mental skill program.