US Soccer And MLS To Meditate With Headspace

U.S. Soccer and Major League Soccer have entered a three-year partnership with meditation app Headspace.

As part of the deal, Headspace will annually provide thousands of app subscriptions to all U.S. Soccer and MLS athletes, coaches, and league and club staff. Headspace will conduct in-person introductory training sessions with U.S. Soccer and MLS athletes and coaches.

Dr. Margot Putukian, MLS Chief Medical Officer. “The Headspace app provides top-line meditation training and is a wonderful supplement to the preexisting health and wellness resources the league and our clubs already provide. We look forward to members of the soccer community utilizing the Headspace app to advance their mindfulness skills to help them achieve their goals both on and off the field.”

U.S. Women’s National Team head coach Jill Ellis said: “We know that mental preparation is as important as physical preparation for elite athletes, We are excited that Headspace has partnered with U.S. Soccer to provide the players another tool to help them perform at their highest levels heading into, and through the tournament this summer.”

Lindsay Shaffer, Head of Sports and Fitness at Headspace said: “While athletes go to great lengths to physically train their bodies, the mind is often neglected. Mental training is the future of sport, and meditation and mindfulness are proven techniques to improve mental fitness.

“We are thrilled to provide Headspace as the mental training tool to some of the world’s greatest athletes, helping them to achieve their performance goals, support their overall health and happiness, and work with U.S. Soccer and the MLS to create a future of sport in which athletes focus as much on training their minds as they do their bodies.”