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Children
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Psychological and Cognitive Determinants of Pediatric Sport Performance and Development
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Psychological and Cognitive Determinants of Pediatric Sport Performance and Development

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Mental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 August 2026 | Viewed by 976

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Donatella Di Corrado

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Human and Society Sciences, University of Enna “Kore”, 94100 Enna, Italy
Interests: child development; sport psychology; pediatric health; mental imagery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sport performance and athletic development in children and adolescents emerge from a complex interplay of physical, psychological, emotional, and cognitive factors. Beyond physical training, young athletes’ ability to learn skills, regulate emotions, cope with competitive demands, and sustain long-term engagement in sport is strongly shaped by mental processes and individual differences. Advancing scientific understanding of these mechanisms is essential for promoting both optimal performance and healthy development in youth sport contexts.

This Special Issue aims to gather high-quality, interdisciplinary research examining the psychological and cognitive factors underpinning sport performance and development in children and adolescents. Emphasis will be placed on the following:

  • Mental imagery and psychological skill training, including imagery- and mindfulness-based interventions designed to enhance motor learning, self-regulation, confidence, and peak performance.
  • Emotional states and mood, such as stress, anxiety, enjoyment, and confidence, and their influence on performance, and sustained participation in sport.
  • Personality traits and individual differences (e.g., perfectionism, resilience, mindfulness, motivation, sensation seeking) and their associations with performance outcomes, burnout risk, and athlete development.
  • Cognitive functions relevant to sport performance, including attention, executive functions, decision-making, reaction time, and working memory, which support skill acquisition and performance under pressure.
  • Motivation, including the role of autonomy, competence, and relatedness (Self-Determination Theory), as well as coach- and parent-created motivational climates.
  • Psychological well-being and mental health in young athletes
  • Coach–athlete and parent–athlete relationships, involving leadership, communication, attachment, parental involvement, and their influence on performance and development.

Original research articles, systematic and narrative reviews, and applied studies conducted in youth sport settings are encouraged. Submissions with clear practical implications for coaches, sport psychologists, educators, and practitioners working with children and adolescents are particularly welcome. By integrating psychological and cognitive perspectives, this Special Issue seeks to advance evidence-based practices that foster both athletic excellence and healthy developmental trajectories in young athletes.

Prof. Dr. Donatella Di Corrado
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • youth sport
  • sport performance
  • mental imagery
  • emotional states
  • mood
  • personality traits
  • cognitive functions
  • motivation

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 835 KB  
Article
Storytelling in Motion: Effects of a Narrative-Based Outdoor Motor Intervention on Motor Competence and Inhibitory Control in Preschool Children—A Quasi-Experimental Study
by Donatella Di Corrado, Maria Chiara Parisi, Matteo Pacifico Mancini and Patrizia Tortella
Children 2026, 13(6), 718; https://doi.org/10.3390/children13060718 - 22 May 2026
Abstract
Background: Promoting physical activity in early childhood is essential for supporting motor, cognitive, and socio-emotional development. Outdoor environments rich in natural stimuli may further enhance these benefits. Recent approaches suggest that integrating movement with narrative contexts may provide additional developmental opportunities by engaging [...] Read more.
Background: Promoting physical activity in early childhood is essential for supporting motor, cognitive, and socio-emotional development. Outdoor environments rich in natural stimuli may further enhance these benefits. Recent approaches suggest that integrating movement with narrative contexts may provide additional developmental opportunities by engaging cognitive and affective processes. This study examined the associations between three outdoor motor activity approaches—Storytelling in Motion, Free Play, and Traditional Motor Instruction—and motor competence and inhibitory control in preschool children. Methods: Eighty-seven preschool children (M_age = 5.32 ± 0.60 years) participated in a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest study conducted in outdoor educational settings in Northern Italy, including a natural environment, a structured playground, and a school courtyard. Participants were assigned at the class level to three groups of unequal size (Storytelling in Motion n = 36, Free Play n = 22, Traditional Motor Instruction n = 29). All groups completed ten weekly sessions lasting approximately 60 min. Motor competence was assessed using selected tasks derived from the Test of Motor Competence and the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2, while inhibitory control was evaluated using the Day/Night Test. Results: Significant Time × Group interactions were observed for several outcomes. The Storytelling in Motion group showed numerically greater improvements at a descriptive level in dynamic balance (Heel-to-Toe Walking: p < 0.001, η2p = 0.229) and fine motor control (Bicycle Trail: p < 0.001, η2p = 0.194) compared to the other groups. The Free Play group showed greater improvements in coordination-related tasks and upper-body strength. No significant differences between groups were observed for inhibitory control. These differences remained significant after adjustment but should be interpreted cautiously due to the non-randomized design. Accordingly, these findings should be considered preliminary and hypothesis-generating (ANCOVA, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Narrative-based outdoor motor activities may represent a potentially relevant approach; however, no firm conclusions can be drawn from the present design. Given the quasi-experimental nature of the study and the contextual differences between intervention settings, the findings should be interpreted with caution. Future research using randomized controlled designs and standardized environments is needed to clarify the independent and combined effects of instructional and environmental factors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychological and Cognitive Determinants of Pediatric Sport Performance and Development)
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18 pages, 513 KB  
Article
Effects of Pre-Session Video Observational Modeling on Emotional Intelligence and 9 m Shooting Performance in U14 Male Handball Players: A Randomized Controlled Trial
by Amayra Tannoubi, Noura Ahmed, John Elvis Hagan, Medina Srem-Sai, Vlad Adrian Geantă and Fairouz Azaiez
Children 2026, 13(5), 655; https://doi.org/10.3390/children13050655 - 7 May 2026
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: Emotional intelligence (EI) is a modifiable psychological competency associated with athletic performance, yet controlled interventions targeting EI in youth sport remain scarce. Pre-session video observational modeling (VOM) is effective for motor skill acquisition, but its potential to enhance EI has not been [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Emotional intelligence (EI) is a modifiable psychological competency associated with athletic performance, yet controlled interventions targeting EI in youth sport remain scarce. Pre-session video observational modeling (VOM) is effective for motor skill acquisition, but its potential to enhance EI has not been examined in a randomized design. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a 6-week pre-session VOM program on EI and 9 m shooting performance in U14 male handball players, and to examine whether changes in EI were associated with performance improvements. Methods: Thirty-three male U14 handball players (M = 13.2 ± 0.4 years) were randomly assigned to a VOM group (n = 17) or a control group (n = 16). Before each training session, the VOM group viewed a standardized 3–5 min video demonstrating the 9 m shooting technique, while both groups completed identical training. EI was assessed using the Arabic Emotional Intelligence Scale (A-EIS), and performance as successful shots per five attempts. Data were analyzed using mixed ANOVA, between-group comparisons of change scores, and linear regression. Outcome assessment was conducted by an evaluator blinded to group allocation. Results: Groups did not differ at baseline (p > 0.05). The VOM group improved significantly across all EI dimensions and performance (p ≤ 0.005, η2p ≥ 0.176), whereas the control group showed statistically significant declines in most EI variables (p ≤ 0.019, d ≥ 0.66). Between-group differences were significant for all outcomes, with large effect sizes (d = 0.90–3.08, 95% CI [0.32, 3.85]). Significant Group × Time interactions were observed across variables (p ≤ 0.015, ω2p = 0.078–0.539). Improvements in EI was significantly associated with performance gains (β = 0.517, p = 0.002), and post-intervention EI was significantly associated with performance variance at post-test (R2 = 0.437, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Pre-session VOM was associated with concurrent improvements in emotional intelligence and 9 m shooting performance in youth handball players, with findings requiring replication in larger and more diverse samples before generalizable conclusions can be drawn. The observed relationship between EI and performance suggests that emotional processes may contribute to skill acquisition. These findings support the inclusion of brief observational strategies in youth training programs, while requiring replication in broader samples. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychological and Cognitive Determinants of Pediatric Sport Performance and Development)
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