Belna 1 Mindfulness and Sport Participation in College Students A Senior Honors Thesis Presented in Fulfillment of the Requirements for Graduation with Distinction in the College of Education and Human Ecology at The Ohio State University By

Mindfulness is the increased ability to be aware and attentive to what is happening in the moment. The concept of mindfulness embodies being conscious of the present and not being in an automatic mode. Mindfulness training could have a positive impact on athletic performance, injury prevention, and recovery time in athletes, but differences among mindfulness levels in athletes is currently not well understood. The purpose of this study was to examine levels of mindfulness among athletes versus non athletes as well as examine whether differences in mindfulness exist between individual sport athletes and team sport athletes. Undergraduate student volunteers (n= 398) completed questionnaires to assess mindfulness and sport participation. Data analysis was conducted to determine whether differences in mindfulness exist between athletes and non-athletes and between individual versus team sport athletes. No significant differences in mindfulness were found based on athletic status. A significant difference was found based on gender, however; males in the sample reported higher levels of mindfulness than females. Further research should focus on self identified athlete status compared to researcher identified athlete status. Researchers should continue and look at these paradigms of mindfulness and athlete status to understand the potential for mindfulness-based interventions to enhance recovery and performance among athletes.