Positive development of young futsal players is influenced by the coach's method and leadership profile

Abstract

The objective of the current study was to investigate the influence of the teaching methods and the leadership profile of the coach in relation to the positive development of young futsal practitioners. In total, 541 Brazilian adolescents (13.86 ± 1.61 years) and 34 Brazilian coaches (45.58 ± 5.81 years), from a public sports program in 29 public schools in the city of Curitiba, in the state of Paraná, participated in the study. Ordinal logistic regression was used to verify the independent associations between the variables sex, category, trainer methodology, and athletes' perception with the tertiles of the scores of each characteristic of positive development of young people. Odds ratios (CR) were obtained with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI) adopting p < 0.05. Small sized games were positively associated with goal setting (OR = 1.35; 95% CI = 1.05–1.74). Positive associations were also found between athletes' perceptions of the coaches' leadership profile with personal and social skills (instructor, democratic behavior), cognitive skills (instructor, democratic behavior and social support), goal setting (instructor, democratic behavior and social support), and initiative (instructor). A longer time spent in the program demonstrated significant correlations with personal and social skills, goal setting, and initiative. Girls presented significantly higher scores than boys regarding goal setting and initiative. For the program evaluated, the results suggest the coaches choose small sized games, combined with a democratic, affective, and accurate leadership profile in teaching instructions.