Abstract
Aim: This investigation examined the role of sports management in promoting talented youth football players to professional teams in Qatar, specifically evaluating talent development strategies, transition support mechanisms, and organizational challenges. Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative survey assessed talent discovery, development, transition support, and challenges in promoting youth players in Qatar football. Validated questionnaires were administered to 117 professionals (97.4% male; 82.9% players, 19.7% coaches, 10.3% administrators). The instrument evaluated three domains on 5-point Likert scales after content validity assessment by experts. Results: Talent development frameworks showed positive implementation (3.91±1.07), with highest agreement for competitive exposure (74.4%) and sports-educational environments (73.5%). However, transition support mechanisms demonstrated lower effectiveness (3.27±1.56), particularly in first-team integration (55.6%) and player-coach communication (54.8%). Primary organizational challenges included transfer regulations (70.1% agreement), external pressures (65.8%), and educational program provision (59.9%). Infrastructure adequacy showed minimal concern (44.4%), reflecting successful facility development. Professional experience exceeding 10 years characterized 53% of respondents, providing robust experiential insights into system effectiveness. Conclusion: While Qatar has established comprehensive talent identification frameworks, significant gaps exist in youth-to-professional transition support and organizational integration. Key recommendations include implementing standardized monitoring protocols, enhancing youth-professional team integration, and strengthening psychosocial support systems. Success requires coordinated interventions at structural, policy, and operational levels while leveraging Qatar's advanced infrastructure. These findings contribute to understanding talent development challenges in emerging football nations while providing evidence-based recommendations for enhancing development pathways.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call