Meet Me on the Pitch: Developing and Testing a Community-Based Sports and Behavioral Health Intervention for Youth (MMotP)

University of California San Francisco (UCSF)

Status: Not yet enrolling

Conditions: Psychological Well Being; Help-Seeking Behavior; Adolescent Health; Mental Health

Treatments: Behavioral: Meet Me on the Pitch (MMotP)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT07339228

U01NR021576 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

A144370

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study evaluates Meet Me on the Pitch (MMotP), a community-based intervention that integrates sports, schools, and behavioral health with the goal of improving the behavioral health, well-being and academic performance of youth. MMotP is a novel approach that builds on evidence-based practices by using sports as a means to foster social-emotional development and address barriers to academic, health, and social services. The study assesses feasibility, acceptability, and short-term outcomes through a randomized controlled trial comparing MMotP to standard sports programming. The intervention will be implemented by the non-profit organization Soccer Without Borders and evaluated by the University of California, San Francisco.

Full description

Meet Me on the Pitch (MMotP) is an innovative community-based intervention designed to improve the behavioral health, well-being and academic performance of youth (ages 14-21). The six-session intervention combines soccer-based activities with behavioral health education using the DNA-V model, a youth-focused adaptation of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). By training trusted community members, specifically soccer coaches, to deliver a tailored behavioral health intervention, MMotP addresses barriers to academic, health, and social services while fostering social-emotional development.

This study evaluates MMotP through a parallel randomized controlled trial. Youth participants will be randomized within their soccer teams to either the supplemental MMotP intervention or just standard sports programming. The study will assess changes in primary outcomes, including mental health (psychological flexibility and self-efficacy) and academic support-seeking behaviors, as well as secondary outcomes related to social connection, school engagement, and access to services. Youth will complete surveys at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months to measure these outcomes.

MMotP will be implemented by Soccer Without Borders in the San Francisco Bay Area and Colorado and evaluated by the University of California, San Francisco. This study is funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research.

Enrollment: 480 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 14 to 21 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Youth ages 14-21 participating in Soccer Without Borders programming
• Regular attendance at team soccer practice
• Ability to speak English or Spanish

Exclusion criteria

• Youth who do not participate in Soccer Without Borders activities
• Youth who do not attend soccer practice regularly
• Youth who do not speak English or Spanish
• Youth who have already received the MMotP program

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

---

480 participants in 2 patient groups

Control Group (Standard Programming)

No Intervention group

Description:

Participants will continue regular Soccer Without Borders programming, including soccer practices and team-building activities with their coach.

Intervention Group (MMotP Program + Standard Programming)

Experimental group

Description:

In addition to standard Soccer Without Borders programming, participants will receive MMotP, a six-session behavioral health intervention. MMotP sessions will be delivered weekly by their trained coach outside of soccer practices.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Meet Me on the Pitch (MMotP)