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Players Academy

Preparing Footballers for the Next Step: An Intervention Program From an Ecological Perspective

Carsten H. Larsen

University of
Southern Denmark

Dorothee Alftermann

University of
Leipzig

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Kristoffer Henriksen

University of
Southern Denmark

Mette K. Christensen

University of
Aarhus

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Abstract

The purpose of this article is to present practitioners and applied researchers with specific details of an ecological-inspired program and intervention in a professional football (soccer) club in Denmark. Based on an ecological agenda, the aim is to reinforce the culture of psychosocial development in the daily practice of a professional football academy, provide the skills required to succeed at the professional level and create stronger relations between the youth and professional departments. The authors suggest six principles as fundamental governing principles to inform an intervention inspired by the holistic ecological perspective. Descriptions of the intervention program and findings are presented in four interconnected steps. Insights are provided into delivery of workshops, the supervision of the coach, on-pitch training, evaluation of the program, and integrating sport psychology as a part of the culture within the club

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Overview

Student-Athlete Balance

Practicioners whoudl

Holistic Environment

For student-athletes, a holistic athlete development environment consists of three domains: sports, study and private life.

Athlete Development Environment

To understand elite talent development environments, Henriksen, Stambulova, and Roessler (2010) proposed shifting focus from an individual athletes’ development to the entire development environment.

Key Finding

With sports organizations being the dominant environment within a student-athletes life they need to prioritize the coordination of upper secondary studies and competitive sports.

Dual Career Environments

Across Europe, sports organizations are prioritizing the education of student-athletes transforming Athlete Development Environments into Dual Career Development Environments.

Organizational Culture

Schein and Schein (2016) explain that in organizational culture, there are three levels: artifacts (observed behavior and visible structures and processes); espoused beliefs and values (rationalizations, ideals, values, and aspirations); and basic underlying assumptions (subconscious, taken-for-granted beliefs and values that determine perception, thought, feeling, and behavior).

Shared Identity

Schein and Schein (2016), sharing a sense of group identity is a key component of culture, and it is also the force that aids in stabilizing said culture, which means that for a sports environment to function well, key agents must work together toward a shared identity.

Self Advocacy

Moreover, student athletes also did not seem to attribute resources to taking care of their developmental needs beyond sports, which could be seen in most athletes not taking the time to connect with their families and nonathlete peers at school.

Breaking Down The Silo

There did not seem to be a shared culture in the environment, rather the environment was seemingly split into two clear subcultures between the sports academy and the school.

Shared Identity

Student athletes did not recognize teachers as key agents, the opportunities afforded to them by the study domain were often either not recognized or not utilized, and the student athletes’ form of life was typically exercising, eating, training, and attending school, which does not depict the holistic view of DC.

Key Finding

Without a shared culture between academic institutions and athletic organizations, student-athletes prioritize the development of their athletic identity at the expense of their academic identity.

Communication

Communication between teachers, coaches and families is crucial to ensure ensure the best possible outcome for student athletes.

The empirical model of a Finnish dual career development environment.
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