Are life skills development within sport associated with coping strategies in young Brazilian athletes?

Abstract Playing sports during youth has been considered one of the main tools for the development of life skills. Thus, this cross-sectional study investigated the association between the development of life skills and coping strategies in 134 young athletes of both sexes in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. The instruments used were the Sports Life Skills Scale and Coping Skills Inventory-28 (ACSI-28BR). Data analysis was performed using Pearson's correlation and Multiple Regression (p<0.05). The results showed a significant (p<0.05) and positive correlation between the life skills subscales and coping strategies. Multiple regression analyses found that total life skills development (a summative score of all eight life skills scores) was positively related to coping skills–providing support for the “pile-up” effect. It was concluded that a range of life skills development is positively associated with the coping strategies of young athletes, possibly helping these young people to show more confidence and motivation to achieve better performances in training and competitions.