Effects of Mindset on Exercise Adherence in K-League U18 Football Players: Mediating Effect of Grit

OBJECTIVES This study examined the structural relationships among mindset, grit, and exercise adherence and tested the mediating role of grit in the relationship between mindset and exercise adherence among U18 players in K-League professional football club academies.METHODS Participants were 111 male players from three professional football club U18 academies in South Korea. Data were collected through self-report questionnaires and analyzed using reliability analysis, correlation analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, and biascorrected bootstrapping.RESULTS The results showed that mindset positively influenced both grit and exercise adherence, while grit also positively influenced exercise adherence. Grit partially mediated the relationship between mindset and exercise adherence, although the indirect effect was relatively small.CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that mindset may have a relatively stronger direct association with exercise adherence, while grit may serve as one of several psychological pathways supporting sustained training and athletic participation among U18 players.