Authors
Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.
Abstract
Objective: The aim of the current research was to identify, stratify, and analyze the obstacles to the professional development of elite-level football athletes.
Methodology: The research method was mixed. The qualitative part was systematic and practical in terms of purpose and was conducted as a case study (football). The statistical population included Iranian football coaches and players. The statistical sample was purposefully selected based on data saturation (18 people) from exploratory interviews. Based on the foundation data method and Glazer's approach, it was used to extract and frame the components. The descriptive quantitative part was of the correlation type, and the structural-interpretive modelling method was used to determine the relationships between the components using MATLAB 2014 software.
Results: Based on the findings in the qualitative section, the existing obstacles were categorized into 33 codes, six concepts, and five categories based on open coding and selective coding at three levels: macro, intermediate, and individual factors. In the quantitative part, based on Mick Mac's analysis, individual barriers were classified as dependent variables at the lowest level, legal and regulatory barriers as independent variables at the highest level, and others as independent variables at intermediate levels.
Conclusion: Therefore, legal obstacles affect other obstacles, and individual barriers are influential variables. Finally, to remove the existing obstacles in the elite stage, it is necessary to give comprehensive attention to individual, middle, and macro factors with a systemic approach. Also, for football players to travel this path successfully, it is necessary to minimize these challenges at various individual, middle, and macro levels.
Keywords
Main Subjects
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