CONCURRENT VALIDITY EVIDENCE OF THE ImPACT AS AN ASSESSMENT OF PROCESSING SPEED IN UNIVERSITY SOCCER ATHLETES

Executive Function (EF) is a crucial element in athletes' performance. It involves many different subcomponents, including Processing Speed (PS). The study underlines the vital role of sport and physical activity on cognition and indicates the imperative role of cognition in athletes' performance. Due to the lack of investigation in sport cognition in college athletes, the aim of the study is to validate a feasible and accessible assessment (i.e., Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing; [ImPACT]) of EF and PS in collegiate soccer athletes. Participants were 18 male collegiate soccer student athletes (Mage = 21; range = 19-24). Two EF assessments were completed: Trail Making Test (TMT) and Tower Test. Correlation analysis was conducted between the scores of the two EF assessments and ImPACT scores. Results indicated a strong correlation between TMT composite and the ImPACT visual motor speed composite (r = .76, p < .01). However, a significant correlation between the Tower Test and the ImPACT test was not evident. The results can function as a door opener to further investigate sport cognition among collegiate athletes. Moreover, the results allow use of the ImPACT test as a valid PS assessment in collegiate soccer athletes.