Exploring Mindfulness: A Comparative Analysis of Athletes' Mindfulness Levels among Individual and Team Sports Athletes

This study aimed to explore and compare mindfulness levels among individual and team sports athletes. Using the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ-15), we assessed 34 male athletes (17 individual sport athletes and 17 team sport athletes) aged 18-25 years, all competing at least at the district level. The results revealed significant differences across all mindfulness sub-scales and overall mindfulness, with individual sport athletes consistently demonstrating higher levels of mindfulness compared to their team sport counterparts. Notably, individual athletes scored significantly higher in Observing, Describing, Acting with Awareness, Non-judging of Inner Experience, and Non-reactivity to Inner Experience. The most substantial difference was observed in the Acting with Awareness sub-scale. These findings suggest that the nature of individual sports may foster greater mindfulness qualities, possibly due to the heightened self-reliance and self-awareness required in these disciplines. This study contributes to our understanding of the relationship between sport type and mindfulness, highlighting the importance of considering sport-specific factors in mindfulness research and interventions within athletic contexts.