Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effect of physical education teacher enthusiasm on the relationship between physical self-efficacy and grit perceived by elementary school students in physical education classes. Methods: For this purpose, 417 elementary school students in grades 5-6 were selected as the subjects of the study to measure physical self-efficacy, grit, and physical education teacher enthusiasm. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 and AMOS 27 programs to conduct frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, validity analysis (convergent and discriminant validity), structural equation model analysis, and mediating effects using bootstrapping. Results: First, elementary school students’ perceived physical self-efficacy in physical education classes had a positive effect on grit and physical education teacher enthusiasm. Second, Physical self-efficacy perceived by elementary students in physical education classes and grit showed a significant partial mediating effect of physical education teacher enthusiasm. Conclusion: These findings suggest that higher physical self-efficacy improves grit in elementary school physical education classes, and that teacher enthusiasm has a significant impact on students in this process, which is encouraging for the role of teacher enthusiasm in physical education classes.

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the effects of soccer coaches’ coaching language on the mental toughness and resilience of adolescent soccer players and to examine the mediating role of mental toughness. Methods: A survey was conducted with 283 male soccer players registered with the Korea Football Association at the middle and high school levels. The hypotheses were tested using confirmatory factor analysis, multiple regression analysis, and bootstrapping. Results: First, encouraging language had a significant positive effect on all subfactors of mental toughness (β = .219-.613, p = .05), whereas praise language showed negative effects on certain subfactors (β = -.215 to -.339, p = .05). Second, encouraging language had significant positive effects on the control, positivity, and social dimensions of resilience (β = .232-.502, p = .01), while praise language was positively associated only with the social dimension (β = .274, p = .01). Third, mental toughness significantly predicted the subfactors of resilience (R² = .155-.390, p = .001), with self-efficacy and challenge orientation emerging as core predictors. Fourth, mediation analysis indicated that positive coaching language exerted both direct (β = .210, p = .001) and indirect effects (β = .080, 95% CI [.012, .172]) on resilience, while negative coaching language exerted both direct (β = -.120, p = .041) and indirect negative effects (β = -.050, 95% CI [-.112, -.001]). However, the independent direct effect of mental toughness on resilience was not significant (β = .075, p = .135). Conclusion: The findings suggest that systematic use of positive coaching language, together with mental toughness training, can strengthen the psychological capacities of adolescent athletes. This study provides practical implications and baseline data for the development of coach education programs.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the sequential mediating effects of self-efficacy and mental health in the process by which physical activity affects quality of life in older adults. Methods: Data were collected from 300 adults aged 60 and over using standardized scales to measure physical activity, self-efficacy, mental health, and quality of life. Descriptive statistics and correlation analyses were conducted, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to validate the measurement model. Structural equation modeling (SEM) with bootstrapping was then employed to test the mediating effects. Results: The results showed that physical activity had a direct positive effect on quality of life. It was also found that self-efficacy and mental health formed a significant sequential mediating pathway in the relationship between physical activity and quality of life. These results suggest that in addition to promoting physical activity, strengthening psychosocial resources is essential for improving the quality of life in older adults. Conclusion: Based on these findings, this study empirically demonstrated that physical activity improves quality of life in late life through the psychological mechanism of enhancing self-efficacy, which in turn improves mental health. This suggests that it is important to take an integrated approach that considers psychosocial factors when designing physical activity programs for older adults.

Purpose: This study examined the effects of a mindfulness acceptance and commitment (MAC) program on competitive anxiety, mindfulness, and shooting performance in male high school basketball players. Twenty male high school basketball players from Busan were selected as study participants. The 20 participants were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n=11) and a control group (n=9). The experimental group participated in the Mindfulness Acceptance and Commitment program once a week for a total of seven sessions, each lasting 60 to 90 minutes, while the control group did not receive any treatment. Pre-test, post-test, and follow-up assessments were conducted using competitive anxiety and mindfulness scales, and shooting performance was evaluated using shooting accuracy tests administered at the pre-test, post-test, and follow-up stages. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 25.0, and the homogeneity of the two groups was verified using an independent samples t-test. To verify the effectiveness of the program at the pre-, post-, and follow-up time points for competitive anxiety, mindfulness, and shooting ability, a two-way repeated measures analysis of variance and a paired samples t-test were performed. The results showed that high school male basketball players who participated in the mindfulness acceptance and commitment program had reduced competitive anxiety and improved mindfulness and shooting ability compared to those who did not participate. This study discussed the implications of applying the mindfulness acceptance and commitment program, which focuses on pursuing personal meaningful goals and accepting inner experiences, to actual training settings to verify its effects on shooting ability among male high school basketball players.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effects of autonomy-supportive teaching (AST), grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), on college students’ basic psychological need satisfaction (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) and imagery ability (strategy, goal, skill, and affect imagery) within a general physical education context. Uniquely, the study explored whether changes in teaching style alone―without direct imagery training―could enhance imagery ability. Methods: Four general physical education instructors were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (participated in an AST intervention program) or the control group. A total of 71 college students (experimental = 37, control = 34), enrolled in the instructors’ classes, completed pre- and post-intervention surveys. Measures included perceived autonomy support, psychological need satisfaction, and imagery ability (SIAQ). Repeated measures ANCOVA was conducted using pre-test scores as covariates. Results: The experimental group showed significantly greater improvements in perceived autonomy support, autonomy and competence satisfaction, and all four subcomponents of imagery ability (strategy, goal, skill, and affect) compared to the control group. Relatedness satisfaction improved in both groups, with no significant group difference, suggesting the influence of the social nature of physical education classes. Conclusion: Autonomy-supportive teaching not only enhances students’ psychological need satisfaction but also fosters the development of imagery ability. These findings suggest that imagery ability is not solely a product of repetitive mental training but can be cultivated through motivation-supportive teaching practices. This study offers theoretical and practical implications for expanding imagery-based interventions in higher education physical activity settings.

Purpose: This study aims to provide useful resources for martial arts tricking practitioners to prevent injury and overcome the fear of failure by exploring their experiences related to it. Methods: Data was collected through open-ended surveys and in-depth interviews with 100 tricking practitioners who practice regularly. The results of the collected data were derived through inductive content analysis. Results: First, as a result of examining the causes of fear of failure among tricking practitioners, the causes were categorized into two general categories(psychological problems and technical problems). Second, as a result of examining the fear of failure responses, the responses were categorized into two general categories(psychological responses and physical responses). Third, as a result of examining the coping strategies for fear of failure, the coping strategies were categorized into two general categories(psychological preparation and physical preparation). Conclusion: Tricking practitioners experience fear of failure in various situations and environments. It is believed that this fear will likely follow a pattern of ‘problem - fear of failure - another problem’ and form a vicious cycle. Therefore, recognizing and applying the findings of this study in the field of extreme sports could help prevent injuries and enable practitioners to overcome their fear of failure.