Physical Education, Sport, Kinesitherapy Research Journal /PESKRJ/, 2(3), Art.18, pp. 125-135, 2017 ISSN 2534-8620 (Online) http://journal.pesk.eu KEHINDE ADEYEMO, MAYOWA ADEYEYE 125 Corresponding author: Kehinde Adeyemo,e-mail: dokinikenny@yahoo.com http://journal.pesk.eu/content/vol2/iss3-art18.pdf Effect of self-talk training programme on free kick accuracy of grassroot footballers in Pepsi Football Academy Kehinde Adeyemo 1 , Mayowa Adeyeye 2 1-2 University of Lagos, NIGERIA Faculty of Education, Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education Received on 06 September, 2017. Accepted on 14 September, 2017. Published on 30 September, 2017. Abstract: The direct free kick is considered a golden opportunity for the kicker to register a goal. The kicker is virtually unchallenged by any opposing player except the wall that stands 9.1m away from the ball; therefore the kicker has an overwhelming advantage. Maximising this advantage is of paramount importance. In view of this, our study examined the extent to which an 8 weeks self-talk training programme is effective for improving accuracy in direct free kick using students of Pepsi Football Academy in Agege, Lagos. Sixty (n-60) students of the academy participated in the study. We randomly distributed them into two groups of self-talk group (intervention n-30) and control group (n-30). The apparatus used in the collection of data include a standard football goal post while the research materials include a dummy soccer wall, a cord, an improvised vanishing spray, a clipboard, writing materials, a recording sheet, six standard 5 football, cones and a self-talk log. The Weinberge and Gould (2011) mental skills training manual was used. The reliability coefficient of the apparatus following a pilot study stood at 0.63. Before the commencement of the mental skills training programme, we asked the participants to take six simulated direct free kick. At the end of each physical skills training session after the pre-test, we spent at least 15 minutes with the groups exposing them to self-talk training programmes. The self-talk training programme alongside physical skills training took place in two different locations for the different groups under study, these included Ijaye Jamat Muslim Organisation Playing Ground (Self-Talk Group) and Keke Estate Playing Ground Ogba Ijaye (Control Group). The self-talk training programme lasted for eight weeks. After the completion of the programme, we asked all the participants to take another six simulated direct free kick attempts using the same field settings used for the pre-test to determine the efficacy of the treatment. The pre-test and post-test data were analysed using inferential statistics of t-test, while the alpha level was set at 0.05. The result shows significant differences in t-test for self-talk and control group. Based on the findings, it is recommended that athletes should be exposed to saying positive things to themselves when taking free kick during training and competition. Keywords: Self-Talk, Direct Free Kick, Accuracy, Pepsi Football Academy Introduction Basic human movement especially in human performance is psychomotor, perceptual- motor and or sensory motor in nature. Hence the correct accuracy of such motor execution and response would depend upon the speed with which the brain makes decision which is contingent upon some psychological factors among which are biomechanical, physiological, peripheral and central nervous system. However, successful skill execution in football beyond the physical skill