THE IMPORTANCE OF LEADING A CONSTRUCTIVE LIFE IN THE TALENT DEVELOPMENT OF YOUNG FOOTBALLERS

Abstract

Talent development for young footballers is a very long process, taking them from childhood to adulthood. During this lengthy period, young people not only learn to master football, but are also socialized, i.e. acquire social behaviours and change from biological beings to social beings. Primary socialization occurs in the family, which is of paramount importance, but it is not a complete process without the help of teachers and coaches in educational establishments who prepare young sportspeople for the world of competitive sport. Kiss, Fózer-Selmeci, Csáki at Bognár (2015) highlight that in the specific environment of football academies, character development also has a strong impact on the performance of young athletes, beyond the sport-specific influences. The paper attempts to demonstrate the practical usefulness of a specific segment of the field of sport science beyond the education of youth football players against the theoretical background. The study focused on the personality and character traits of young people and the values of leading a constructive way of life. The application of these findings allow for further development of personality, which is key in the effectiveness of talent development. As Gombocz (2004) put it, only a person who is disciplined and goal-oriented, who makes every effort to meet the requirements set by the coach and who has a private life characterized by sportsmanship, is able to consistently have above-average performance.