data base.xlsx

This study explores how psychological characteristics and competitiveness relate to coaches’ expectations of future performance among youth football players in Latin America. Conducted across elite academy clubs in eight Spanish-speaking countries, the research focused on male athletes aged 13 to 20, a demographic often underrepresented in global talent identification literature. In this structurally and culturally distinct context, understanding how psychosocial factors align with perceived future potential offers critical insight for talent development systems.A cross-sectional design was used to assess players' psychological profiles through validated questionnaires, while coaches provided structured evaluations of each player's projected performance trajectory. The analysis revealed meaningful associations between specific psychological traits—such as active coping, self-directed control, and emotional regulation—and coaches’ perceptions of potential. Competitiveness emerged as a particularly relevant characteristic, consistently aligning with adaptive behaviours and favourable coach evaluations. Conversely, traits such as emotional reactivity to failure were associated with lower perceptions of potential.The findings suggest that psychological profiling can play a valuable role in supporting holistic, developmentally appropriate evaluations of young athletes. They also highlight the need to foster environments that support emotional resilience and self-regulation, particularly in high-pressure developmental settings. Importantly, this research adds a regional perspective to the global discourse on talent identification, advocating for scalable, context-sensitive tools to assess psychological readiness. These insights offer practical implications for coaches, scouts, and federations seeking to optimise talent development processes in emerging sporting contexts.