Coaches’ perceptions of youth players’ development in a professional soccer club in Brazil: paradoxes between the game and those who play

Abstract

The aim of this study was to verify the conceptions and the pedagogical procedures of coaches in relation to the development of life skills and those skills specific to soccer training. The sample consisted of eight youth sport coaches working within a Brazilian club that recently hosted the senior world championship. Semi-structured interviews were used to generate data, which, in turn, underwent a content analysis. The results indicated that coaches, in general, develop specific skills; in other words, they work with activities close to the reality of the matches. The pedagogical procedures on, the other hand, implicitly (not intentionally) focused on life skills, directed to the players’ personal and social development. Thus, it was noted that the priority was directed towards the development of sport-specific skills, with relatively little concern given to the athletes’ wider education.

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