Analysis of the social and emotional context of elite young basketball players

Abstract

The aim of this study was to gather the testimony of elite young basketball players regarding their own level of satisfaction and expectations, as well as their social and emotional context, including their coaches and parents. The instrument used to obtain this data was the semi-structed interview. The sample has been composed of 48 players under-14 and under-16 Male and Female in the season of 2021/22 played in teams that competed in the Spanish Nacional Championship. This study indicates the importance that players give to their coaches in the achievement of their goals, and on the role of parents in emotional and social support. All players easily highlighted the aspects they value the most in coaches, like the confidence that coaches give to them followed by the improvement as a player and the learning they felt. Only a few didn’t feel a negative influence by any coach, being in this regard the lack of confidence, motivation and the low demanding training posture the most common. In most cases parents have a positive.