Integration of Team-Player Identity in Youth Soccer

Team Building as a Tool for Engagement and Retention in Youth Soccer

What was the problem?

Youth football in Denmark is characterized by a significant dropout among players aged 10 to 13. Although organized sport offers well-documented physical, psychological, and social benefits, many players disengage during early adolescence. Research suggests that this dropout is often linked to reduced motivation, lack of meaning, and weak social relations within the team environment. This project addressed the challenge of how football clubs can support engagement and retention among U13 boys by strengthening the social and motivational aspects of training.

How did we approach it?

The project was carried out as a practice-based intervention with a U13 boys football team. It was theoretically grounded in Etienne Wenger’s theory of learning in communities of practice, which emphasises learning and identity formation through social participation, and Self-Determination Theory, focusing on autonomy, competence, and relatedness as central motivational needs. Based on this framework, a series of team building activities was designed and integrated into regular training sessions. The activities focused on communication, cooperation, shared values, and trust, and were planned using didactic principles with clear goals. Continuous observation and reflection were used to adapt the activities to the players’ learning prerequisites.

What happened?

Throughout the intervention, the players gradually demonstrated increased engagement and participation during training. Several activities made the importance of communication and cooperation explicit, particularly when success depended on collective problem-solving. Some exercises initially proved too complex, which highlighted differences in the players’ learning prerequisites and led to adjustments in task design. Over time, communication improved, the players supported each other more actively, and a stronger sense of togetherness and shared responsibility emerged.

What were the key takeaways?

The project showed that engagement and retention in youth football can be strengthened by creating training environments that emphasize meaning, social relations, and participation rather than a narrow focus on performance and competition. Team building activities were most effective when they were closely connected to everyday football practice and adapted to the players’ developmental level. Key takeaways include the importance of shared values, autonomy, and enjoyment, as well as the value of reflective, theory-informed practice when working with young athletes.

Skills Demonstrated

• Practice-based intervention design

• Application of learning and motivation theory

• Facilitation of group processes and teamwork

• Observation and reflective practice

• Adaptation to developmental and social needs

• Interview techniques (group and individual)