Profiles of success: The role of parents and coaches in the development of professional soccer players

Objectives: The theoretical landscape of talent development in soccer is acknowledged as a multidisciplinary problem (Williams et al., 2020). Despite this consensus, sociological factors commonly identified in several developmental models (Bronfenbrenner, 1979; Côté et al., 2020) like parental and coaching influence remain underexplored in current research, warranting increased attention. Methodologically, existing studies predominantly employ a variable-oriented lens, linking parental or coaching behavior (e.g., pressure, support) to various talent developmental variables (e.g., success, performance; Coutinho et al., 2021; Murray et al., 2021; Sieghartsleitner et al., 2019). However, this approach neglects individual heterogeneity and fails to capture the complex interactions (and compensation) within a person (Lienhart et al., 2020; Zuber et al., 2015). An alternative, person-oriented approach is required for understanding how “types of persons”, with distinct combinations of parental and coach support, evolve uniquely over time, potentially influencing their likelihood of future success.
Methods: This longitudinal study examines the development of 108 elite youth soccer players, born in 1999 and 2000 at two measurement points in 2011 (U13) and 2012 (U14). By utilizing the person-oriented approach (Bergman et al., 2003), the study aims to create profiles (i.e., types of persons) of perceived leadership behavior (Leadership scale for sports; Chelladurai & Saleh, 1980) and perceived parental influence (Parental involvement in sport questionnaire; Lee & McLean, 1997), analyzing their impact on soccer performance levels at adulthood in 2023.
Results: In the preliminary findings, two distinct profiles emerged as potential indicators for achieving elite adult soccer performance: well-supported athletes with moderately involved parents and average-supported athletes with highly involved parents. The profiles suggest a relative stability in parental involvement, whereas coach behavior exhibits considerable variability.
Conclusion: This highlights the importance of coaches and parents in talent development and how they balance pressure and support and the possibility of compensatory mechanisms between coaches and parents.