Unlocking Resilience: Identifying Key Behaviors for Success

This blog was created after I read the article from the Journal of Applied Sports Psychology 1. 
This study was done with youth soccer players in a professional academy. To read the full study, check the citation at the bottom of the blog. 
Resilience, the ability to bounce back from setbacks and maintain performance under pressure, is a crucial ingredient for success in youth soccer. A recent study has explored the specific behaviors that characterize resilience in young soccer players within professional academies. This research identifies observable actions that coaches, parents, and players can use to foster resilience and improve player development.
Why Resilience Matters in Youth Soccer
The academy environment presents numerous challenges for young players, including:

  • Coach and parent criticism
  • On-field errors
  • Poor team outcomes
Players who demonstrate resilience are better equipped to navigate these challenges, increasing their likelihood of progressing to the professional level. The Elite Player Performance Plan emphasizes the importance of developing mental and emotional resilience in young players. Resilience isn't just about coping; it's about adapting, maintaining performance, and rebounding from setbacks.
Key Behavioral Indicators of Resilience
This study identified 36 specific behaviors across six themes that indicate resilience in youth soccer:

Teammate Support-Focused: Players positively influencing and interacting with teammates, offering verbal and non-verbal support after mistakes. This includes showing positive body language or providing instructions to teammates.

Emotion-Focused: Players managing and regulating their own emotions when facing challenges, displaying emotional control and positive body language.

Effort-Focused: Players demonstrating visible effort to manage physical and psychological demands, working hard to regain possession or support attack and defense.

Rebound: Players bouncing back quickly from errors or setbacks, showing an immediate positive reaction to mistakes.

Robust: Players maintaining consistent performance standards under pressure, showing bravery and confidence. This involves approaching challenges rather than avoiding them.

Learning-Focused: Players demonstrating a willingness to learn from setbacks, adapting their playing strategy and accepting feedback. This includes taking responsibility for errors.
Practical Applications for Coaches and Players
Understanding these behavioral indicators allows for more informed player development strategies:

Observation and Assessment: Coaches can use these behaviors to assess a player’s resilience in real-time, moving beyond subjective "gut feelings".

Targeted Development: Practitioners can focus on specific themes to develop resilience through tailored training exercises and feedback.

Self-Reflection: Players can reflect on their behavioral responses to stressors, increasing self-awareness and promoting positive change.
Moving Beyond Performance Metrics
Traditional methods of assessing resilience often rely on performance outcomes, which can be influenced by uncontrollable factors. Observing specific behaviors provides a more direct and insightful measure of an athlete’s capacity for navigating setbacks.
The Difference Between Resilience and Mental Toughness
While related, resilience and mental toughness are distinct concepts. Resilience involves a range of protective factors, including environmental influences, while mental toughness is often described as an internal psychological resource. Resilience is often salient as a reaction to challenging circumstances.
Future Directions
Further research is needed to refine these behavioral indicators and develop validated observational tools for assessing resilience. Exploring the cognitive processes that underpin resilience behaviors can also provide valuable insights.
By understanding and cultivating these behaviors, coaches and players can unlock the full potential of young athletes, setting them up for success both on and off the field.
1. Ashdown, B., Sarkar, M., Saward, C., & Johnston, J. (2024). Exploring the behavioral indicators of resilience in professional academy youth soccer. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 37(1), 96–120. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2024.2361701
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