Practitioner Perspectives on Identity In Elite
Youth Football
Mitchell, T.O., Nesti, M.S. , Richardson, D .J. & Littlewood, M.A.
Research Institute for Sport & Exercise Sciences
&
University Centre, Doncaster
e-mail: [email protected] w: www.don.ac.uk
Tel: +44 01302 553945
TW: @HESportUCD
Introduction
Football environments have been characterised as; domineering,
authoritarian, ruthless and insecure (Parker, 2001).
‘…peculiar and unique institutions which stamp a certain character
on young men as they pass from adolescence to early adulthood
(Gearing, 1999)
@HESportUCD / [email protected]
Theoretical Framework
• Erikson’s (1968) 8 Stages of psychosocial development.
• Identity develops through a combination of biological
maturity, societal expectation, and experience of life so far and
relationships made.
• A strong, flexible, clear sense of self may be most suitable for
young players to meet their potential (Balague, 1999, Nesti &
Littlewood, 2011).
Aims
1. Gain a critical understanding of player characteristics
(identity) required for progression to professional
environments
2. Understand organisational strategies employed to
influence such characteristics and associated identity.
@HESportUCD / [email protected]
Methods
Nineteen (N = 19) youth development practitioners from ten (N = 10)
English professional football clubs. (n = 1 PL, n=4 CH, n=3 L1, n=2
L2).
Semi-structured Interviews.
Transcribed verbatim and exposed to content analysis procedures (Strauss
& Corbin, 1998).
Trustwortiness: Critical Reflection (Maykut & Morehouse, 1985);
Member Checking (Sparkes, 1998).
@HESportUCD / [email protected]
and
They just know theyResults
can play they
just,Discussion
they’ve just got a real coolness
and calmness
(HOYL1c)
We’ve
just hadabout
one ofthem.
the lads
who’s just scored the winner for the under
19s” … you know, he’s got a bit of cockiness and selfishness about him
You
knowwhen
the ones
that into
are more
calculatedyesterday
and workand
things
out aare
but then
he came
the classroom
we had
bitthe
of
I mean
ones
who
youhave
can
tellwas
abybetter
looking
chance...that
somebody,
put subject.
Iitknow
into perspective
itThe
sounds
(YCL1c)
bit daft
banter
about
it got
he
trying
toatchange
the
best aplayers
you can
say
he looks like a footballer. (YCL2a)
have
that.
(HoEWPL).
Both carry notions of Identity Achievement (Erikson, 1968) and Self
Erikson
Knowledge
(1968)
(Corlett,
viewed
as being
can of
find
...a kid who
wants
to 1996)
goones
and spirit
do some
extra evident
training,that
buthumans
all the rest
the
meaning
in life.to go, oh, goody goody two shoes, and all this sort of stuff.
lads are going
Well you’ve got to say, “Sod that.” (HOYCHc).
Combination of ruthlessness and humility in a range of domains,
Csikszentmihalyi (1997).
“...we’ve got lads whose job it is to blow footballs up and that to
Results
make sure they’re at the right
pressure cos the first team go
crackers if they’re not you know, are the bibs washed are they clean
if the first team wanna put em on. It’s a massive responsibility
We
within
see our
players
football
who’ve
club.’’
got(HOYL2a)
really good standards, really good
Teach em
values
there’sreally
an education
programme
values.
Yougood
know,
reallyand
focused,
professional,
really there
which
allows
em
todiscipline
gothe
getparents
a to
load
of qualifications
to make
em
disciplined;
Have they
got
you
themeet
clean
and
their
it’s no
boots,
surprise
toand
clean
that
the
they’ve
better
human
beings.
(HOYCHb)
got
footballs.
those
values.
If they’ve
(EWOPL)
got
that they’ve got the discipline to track
runners or mark somebody from a set play.’’ (YCCHd).
Beliefs
Stiflingand
of the
values
self that
(Marcia,
define
1965)
the ones identity rather than
personality type or psychological skills. Nesti (2007)
Craft Idiocy (Marx, 1955)
Docile Bodies (Foucault, 1977)
Conclusions
Practitioners, mainly coaches, are extremely clear about what they
want from players who have the best chance of progression.
Paradox between what they want (Identity Achievement) and systems
of work to promote this (Identity Foreclosure).
Traditional notions of conformity, authority and professionalism
remain from the pre YTS days.
@HESportUCD / [email protected]
Recommendations
Practitioners, mainly support staff, need to ensure players develop
understand and maintain their identity (Erikson, 1968), self
knowledge (Corlett, 1996) and a robust values system (Nesti,
2004).
Review of coach development programmes to include information
relating to personal (identity) development.
Explore how much coaches value the coach education they receive.
Indicative References
Balalgue, G. (1999). Understanding Identity, Value and Meaning when working with elite athletes. The Sport Psychologist,
13, 89-98.
Corlett, J. (1996). Virtue Lost: Courage in Sport. Journal of the Philosophy of Sport, 45-57.
Csikszentmiahalyi, M. (1997). Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention. NY, Harper Perennial.
Erikson, E.H. (1968). Identity, Youth and Crisis, New York, Norton.
Nesti, M.S (2004). Existential psychology and sport: Implications for research and practice. London: Routledge.
Nesti, M.S. (2007). Persons and players. In Sport and Spirituality: an introduction (Eds.) Parry, J., Nesti, M.S., Robinson, S.
and Watson, N. London Routeldge, pp 7-21.
Nesti, M.S. Littlewood, M.A., (2011). Making your way in the game: Boundary situations in Englands professional football
world. In critical essays in Applied Sport Psychology. (Eds) D. Gilbourne and M.B. Andersen. Leeds: Human
Kinetics.
Parker, A. (2001). Soccer, servitude and sub-cultral identity: Football traineeship and masculine construction. Soccer and
Society, 2 (1) pp 59-80.
@HESportUCD / [email protected]
Practitioner Perspectives on Identity In Elite
Youth Football
Mitchell, T.O., Nesti, M.S. , Richardson, D .J. & Littlewood, M.A.
Research Institute for Sport & Exercise Sciences
&
University Centre, Doncaster
e-mail: [email protected] w: www.don.ac.uk
Tel: +44 01302 553945
TW: @HESportUCD