Psychological Characteristics of Male Youth Soccer Players: Specificity of Mental Attributes According to Age Categories

The psychological development of youth soccer players is limitedly understood and demands alternatives to gain entry in order to assist young players reaching elite levels. Distinguishing features of expertise and identifying factors that influence the player progression is highly recommended. Moreover, predicting success in youth soccer is a challenge at any age. The aim of this study is to investigate selected psychological skills of youth male Tunisian soccer players in different age categories. This study examines differences of 180 male youth soccer players between the ages of 15 and 19 years and from different youth class divisions. The subjects are divided into two groups, namely; U19 (n = 90) and U17 (n = 90), and are compared with regard to twelve psychological skills measured by means of the Ottawa Mental Skills Assessment Tool-3 (OMSAT-3) of Durand Bush et al. (2001). A significant difference in psychological skills is found in the various psychological skills. At the overall sample, U19 soccer players consistently outperform the U17 in term of confidence, stress reaction, activation and relaxation. The U19 soccer players belonging to the 1st youth class score higher values than the U17, in term of goal setting, confidence, stress reaction, activation, relaxation, focus, refocus and imagery. The results of the study provide support for the hypothesis that age differences in terms of psychological skills exist. More specifically, statistical evidence suggests that youth soccer players can be differentiated as a function of psychological skill and age category on the team.