Character strengths in male youth soccer players: Associations with well-being, sport enjoyment, and academy status

Character strengths are positive trait-like capacities linked to flourishing across various life domains, yet little is known about their role in competitive youth sport. Organized youth sport represents a developmental context in which strengths, well-being, enjoyment, and performance-related experiences intersect. This study examined associations between the 24 character strengths, well-being, and sport enjoyment in 445 German male youth soccer players aged 10–18 years. In addition, character-strength profiles between players from elite youth academies ( n = 195) and non-academy soccer clubs ( n = 250) were compared. Participants completed the VIA Youth-96, the KIDSCREEN-27, and an adapted version of the QUAEPE. Character strengths were broadly positively associated with well-being and showed a more selective pattern of associations with sport enjoyment. Zest and perseverance emerged as especially consistent correlates. Moreover, elite academy players reported higher levels of 22 of the 24 character strengths. The breadth of the correlational and group-difference patterns was attenuated in cluster-related sensitivity analyses. Overall, character strengths appear to be relevant correlates of positive functioning in youth soccer, and self-reported character-strength profiles may differ across academy and non-academy contexts. Longitudinal and multilevel research is needed to clarify the directionality, the underlying mechanisms, and the role of shared club environments.