“What can you see? What can you hear?” The implementation of a behaviour-based mental toughness framework within international youth football

Researchers have identified mentally tough behaviors (MTbs) as crucial for linking mental toughness (MT) capacity to consistently high performance under pressure but often overlook how displays of MTb lead to MT development. Through a practitioner-researcher approach within a UEFA National Football Association, an applied intervention, using a behavior-based MT development framework, was administered during an under-15s international training camp, with the aim of supporting coaches (n = 2) to facilitate youth footballers’ (n = 22) MT development. The intervention included pre-camp coach education, in-camp coach support, and post-camp interviews to assess effectiveness. Players’ MT levels, measured using the MT Index (MTI), significantly increased pre- to post-camp. Coaches highlighted the intervention’s role in clarifying MT and helping them frame MTbs appropriately. Players credited their MT development to how coaches clarified, reinforced, and reviewed the MTbs they displayed under pressure. We recommend practitioners working with sports organizations create bespoke MT development frameworks that integrate into their development processes, including player development and session planning. An intervention was designed to assist coaches in developing players MT within a UEFA National Football Association. This intervention educated coaches on what MT is and how it’s developed and supported coaches in implementing MT development strategies during an international football camp. Players’ MT levels significantly increased from pre- to post-intervention. Practitioners should collaborate with coaches to create structured opportunities for MT development within session delivery to supplement unplanned moments of brief contact.It is recommended practitioners embed themselves within an organization, establish role clarity, and familiarize themselves with the organization’s norms, values, and traditions to deliver MT development interventions that are culturally appropriate.Practitioners working in time-limited, elite sport settings should prioritize the delivery of solution-focused MT interventions, where emphasis is placed on assisting athletes to display desired MTbs regardless of underlying cognitions or potential outcomes. Practitioners should collaborate with coaches to create structured opportunities for MT development within session delivery to supplement unplanned moments of brief contact. It is recommended practitioners embed themselves within an organization, establish role clarity, and familiarize themselves with the organization’s norms, values, and traditions to deliver MT development interventions that are culturally appropriate. Practitioners working in time-limited, elite sport settings should prioritize the delivery of solution-focused MT interventions, where emphasis is placed on assisting athletes to display desired MTbs regardless of underlying cognitions or potential outcomes.