Purpose The ability to perform motor imagery has been shown to influence individual athletic performance and rehabilitation. Recent evidence supports its potential as a training tool to improve motor skills in children. Although there is a standardized assessment of the imagery abilities in Slovenian-speaking adults, there is currently no validated instrument for use with Slovenian children. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to conduct a linguistic validation study of the movement imagery questionnaire for children (MIQ-C). Methods A total of 100 healthy children (mean age 10.3±1.3 years; 50 female) were assessed with a Slovenian version of the MIQ-C at Day 1 and Day 8. Inter-day agreement was examined using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Construct validity and internal consistency were assessed using a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and exploratory – confirmatory factor analysis, respectively. Results The test-retest ICC were very high for all three scales examined (ICCKI=0.90; ICCIVI=0.92; ICCEVI=0.90). Excellent internal consistency (up to 0.90) was found for kinaesthetic and both visual imageries. Confirmatory analysis confirmed a three-factorial structure of the MIQ-C. Conclusions The Slovenian version of the MIQ-C proved to be highly reliable and valid in assessing children’s motor imagery abilities, and as such for use with Slovene-speaking children. Moreover, this standardized instrument can be a helpful tool in training and rehabilitation practice with children aged 7–12 years.

Purpose: Depression and anxiety are mental illnesses which affect many people worldwide. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms among Slovenian female football players and non-players. Methods: The sample consisted of Slovenian female football players playing in the Slovenian 1st female football league or youth league (n = 78) and non-player peers (n = 120) with an average age of the total sample 22±4 years. The participants filled out a questionnaire including some general questions (age, physical activity levels, participation in competitive sports), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Results: The most commonly observed were normal and mild levels of depression and anxiety. According to the results of depression in BDI-II, 43.6% of athletes experienced moderate to severe depression compared to 15.8% of peers (p = 0.001). Results from DASS-21 show that 71.8% of athletes experience normal to mild symptoms of depression and 56.4% experience the same levels of anxiety. Similarly, 75% of peers experience normal to mild depressive symptoms and 56.7% reported normal to mild symptoms of anxiety. No statistical differences were found in these categories. Conclusion: We have gained insight into the current prevalence of depression and anxiety among female football players and their peers but more research needs to be done.