Exploring the Networks of Relationships Between the 5Cs of Positive Youth Development Through Sport

Abstract

The theoretical 5Cs model (character, confidence, competence, connection and caring) is a promising theory for evaluating Positive Youth Development (PYD) through sport. Given the scarcity of studies evaluating the interrelationship between the 5Cs of PYD through sport in the Brazilian context, the aim of the present study was to explore the 5C relationship networks. The sample comprised 308 athletes aged between 14 and 24 (M=18, 5±2.35, 54.9% females), who responded to a battery of 5Cs measures in sport. Network analysis was employed, producing six clusters of items. The network graph results suggested that the items Character (2 – leader in the group; 5 – I am better than other) and Competence (32 – ability to be a leader) are central nodes, while the measures of centrality identified the coach-athlete Connection (42 – with my coach, I am ready to do my best; 43 – with my coach, I adopt a friendly stance) as having greater impact than the clusters. The results corroborated the theoretical grounding, which stresses the role of the coach-athlete relationship in PYD through sport. The practical application of these practices is presented here.