The Psychosocial Development of Youth Rugby Players

Abstract

The development of psychosocial skills and characteristics (PSCs) is essential for successful sport participation, talent development, elite athletic performance and effective functioning in other life domains, such as education and work. The purpose of this chapter is twofold. First, to offer a summary of empirical research investigating the importance of young rugby players’ psychosocial development, including the influence of adolescence and the characteristics of talent development environments. Second, informed by the work of Bloom et al. (2020) and the authors’ experiences within applied rugby settings, this chapter provides six recommendations to support coaches and practitioners in establishing and maintaining rugby environments that intentionally and systematically facilitate the psychosocial development of their players. Bloom and colleagues found ideal youth sports environments: (1) promoted learning and development over winning; (2) created supportive environments; (3) intentionally planned and promoted players’ psychosocial development; (4) facilitated players with opportunities to practice PSCs; (5) promoted and facilitated the transfer of PSCs to other life domains; and (6) considered athletes’ individual differences and wider social environments.