The aim of the VR-MS project was to transform the training regime of Digenis Akritas Morfou (DAM), a second division football club in Cyprus, to include the exercise of mental skills. To do so, a small partnership was set up with (1) MentisVR Ltd, a company that develops Virtual Reality tasks for mental skills training in football, the Università degli Studi Gabriele d’Annunzio di Chieti-Pescara (UdA), an Italian institution with long expertise is sports psychology, and (3) The Centre for Social Innovation (CSI), a research and development organization which focuses on fostering social innovation that can bring about a positive change to local, national, regional and global contexts. The partnership successfully designed and evaluated an innovative Virtual Reality program for the training of mental skills and applied it to the coaches and players of the club, starting with 6-year old players (of both genders) from the club’s academies and going up to professional players in the club’s elite men’s team. A set of guidelines for adopting the mental skills training program by other clubs and/or national football associations, was produced and shared freely with the relevant stakeholders.
Digenis Akritas Morfou (DAM) is an athletic club established in 1931 and has a rich history in football in Cyprus. In the last two decades the club has managed to move up to the national leagues playing in the 1st and 2nd division, and started at the same time investing in the infrastructure that will allow it to improve further in the future. As part of this investment, the club has established a football academy to exploit local talent. Currently, the club has teams in all age groups, starting from the age of 6. These teams participate in the national leagues with impressive results. As a result, the club’s elite teams (the men’s team and the U-19 team) rely heavily on young players developed in the club’s academy rather than on transfers from other clubs.
The VR-MS project is the next step in further improving the club’s successful academy and represents an innovative project that no other club in Cyprus has ever undertaken. With the project, Digenis Akritas Morfou (DAM) aimed to transform the training program used in its academy to include the exercise of mental skills. Specifically, new exercise tasks that target mental skills such as attention, perception, memory, and decision-making, will be added to the academy’s program.
With the project, DAM upgraded its training facilities to include a VR/AR exercise centre for mental skills and create, in collaboration with its partners, an innovative mental skills training protocol.
P1. Athlitikos Mousikofilologikos Syllogos Digenis Akritas Morfou
P2. Mentisvr Ltd
P3. Universita Degli Studi Gabriele D’annunzio Di Chieti-pescara
P4. Csi Center For Social Innovation Ltd
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Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Funded by the Other. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Funded by the Other. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Funded by the Other. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Funded by the Other. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Funded by the Other. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Funded by the Other. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Funded by the Other. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Funded by the Other. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Funded by the Other. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Funded by the Other. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Funded by the Other. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Funded by the Other. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Funded by the Other. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Funded by the Other. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Funded by the Other. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
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