Values education and positive development in young footballers at an elite club

This cross-sectional study analysed the values profile of 188 male footballers from nine teams (under-11 to under-19) at the youth academy of an elite club, and its sociodemographic and sport-related correlates, using the 24-item Values Scale for Positive Adolescent Development, covering eight first-order and three higher-order dimensions (social, personal and individualistic values). Responsibility, social commitment and honesty scored highest, confirming a predominance of personal and social values over individualistic ones. Team and age accounted for most significant differences; after correction for multiple comparisons, the team effect on prosociality/social commitment and the age effect on prosociality remained robust. The raw decline in prosociality with age was concentrated between teams/cohorts rather than within players, reversing to a small positive trend once team was held constant; similarly, the raw residence effect on prosociality/responsibility was no longer significant once age was taken into account, as residents were on average 1.8 years older. The academy studied shows a positive values profile, dominated by personal and social content, varying markedly between teams, whose apparent decline with age reflects cohort differences rather than individual change, supporting reinforced values education in the most demanding competitive categories.