Individual psychological characteristics of under-17 football players in Indonesia and Malaysia: sport psychology approach

Abstract

Football is complex because it involves physical aspects, technical competence, the ability to understand tactics, and psychological conditions. This study focuses on exploring the psychological characteristics needed by U17 football players in Indonesia and Malaysia to become professional football players in the future. The researcher used a qualitative method with a grounded theory approach to find these psychological characteristics. The researcher conducted interviews, observations, and document analysis to collect data from 25 football coaches in Indonesia and Malaysia who already have a football coaching license and have at least five years of experience as U17 football coaches who were participants in this study. The license and knowledge of the coaches are expected to be valuable sources of information in this study. The data collected were analyzed through several steps, starting from open coding, axial coding, and selective coding, to find themes that emerged from the coach's information. In addition, to facilitate data grouping, the researcher also conducted data analysis with the help of software in qualitative research, namely NVivo 14. This study found five psychological characteristics that can help U17 football players to rise professionally. The first characteristic is the cognitive aspect of the player's intellectual ability, goal setting, imagery, focus, and willingness. Second, affective factors involve self-confidence, happiness, motivation, and self-control. Third, behavioral factors include discipline, attitude, commitment, and respect. Fourth, personality factors include courage, adaptability, and mental toughness. The last factor is the spiritual aspect, which requires players to have ritual and social worship. The psychological element is not the main factor in the success of football players, but it is a determining factor. With the development of scientific collaboration for football, football coaches or stakeholders in Indonesia and Malaysia can use the results of this study as a basis for creating programs for the development of football in both countries. Keywords: individual, psychological characteristics, developmental pathways, football, Indonesia, Malaysia