Guided Imagery Training for Shooting Accuracy and Mental Skills in Adolescent Football Players

A Randomized Controlled Trial on the Effects of Guided Imagery Training on Shooting Accuracy and Psychological Skills in Adolescent Football Players

This study is designed to examine whether guided imagery training can improve football shooting performance and psychological skills in young athletes. Thirty-two male players aged 12-14 years will be randomly assigned to an imagery training group or a control group. The imagery group will receive guided mental training sessions after each regular football practice for 12 weeks, while the control group will participate only in standard training. The primary outcome will be shooting accuracy at 10 and 15 meters, and the secondary outcome will be imagery ability assessed with a validated questionnaire.

The purpose of this randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the effects of a structured guided imagery program on shooting accuracy and sport-specific psychological abilities in adolescent football players. A total of 32 licensed male players, aged between 12 and 14 years, will be recruited from a local sports club and randomly assigned to one of two groups.

The intervention group will receive guided imagery sessions of 15 minutes following each of their three weekly football practices, over a total period of 12 weeks (36 sessions). These sessions will include relaxation, visualization of technical movements, and reinforcement of confidence and motivation. The control group will continue with standard technical training and will participate in short team meetings to match the contact time.

The primary outcome will be shooting accuracy, evaluated with a standardized shooting accuracy test at distances of 10 and 15 meters. The secondary outcome will be imagery ability, measured using the Sport Imagery Questionnaire for Children (SIQ-C).

The study design is a single-center, parallel-group randomized controlled trial. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institute of Social Sciences Ethics Committee at Çağ University (Approval No. 350-50, January 10, 2020). All participants and their parents will provide written informed consent before the trial.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Male adolescent football players
• Age between 12 and 14 years
• Licensed players of Yozgat Municipality Bozok Sports Club
• Regular attendance at training sessions
• Written informed consent obtained from both player and parent/guardian

Exclusion Criteria:

• Withdrawal of consent at any time
• Health problems arising during the intervention that prevent participation
• Irregular or insufficient attendance at training sessions
• Female athletes (not available in this age category at the club)