To investigate the relationship between sports participation and sport trait confidence, 1659 teenagers in primary and secondary schools who regularly play football were asked to complete the Sports Participation Scale, Collective Self-Esteem Scale, Self-Esteem Scale, and Sport Trait Confidence Scale. The results show that (1) the positive prediction of football participation on sport trait confidence is not significant; (2) collective self-esteem and self-esteem play a mediating role between football participation and sport trait confidence; (3) the mediating effect occurs through three pathways. The study provides theoretical guidance and empirical evidence for the lead and intervention of adolescent football participation on sport trait confidence. This study created a chain-mediated model to examine the mediating role of collective self-esteem and self-esteem in their relationship, as well as the impact of the two as chain mediators on football participation and sport trait confidence.

Background: Adolescent mental health has become an important issue of global concern. Participation in sports, particularly team sports, is closely associated with improved adolescent mental health. However, the relationship between team sports participation and mental health is complex and varies across individuals. The current study was not able to clearly identify the mental health benefits associated with team sports among different individuals. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted across 64 schools in China, involving a total sample of 1,659 adolescents (M age = 12.51 years, SD = 2.285). Athlete engagement was assessed using the Athlete Engagement Questionnaire (AEQ), which measures four dimensions: self-confidence, vigor, dedication, and enthusiasm. Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) was employed to identify distinct athlete engagement profiles in football. In addition, the association between the identified latent profiles and major demographic characteristics was examined using the robust three-step method (R3STEP). Based on the Dual-Factor Model (DFM) of mental health, adolescents; mental health status was assessed using the Self-Esteem Scale and the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS). Finally, the relationship between different athlete engagement profiles and mental health outcomes was analyzed using the three-step Bolck-Croon-Hagenaars (BCH) method. Results: Latent Profile Analysis revealed that a three-profile model was most suitable: high engagement profile (Class 1, 46.2%, n = 766), moderate engagement profile (Class 2, 41.7%, n = 692), and low engagement profile (Class 3, 12.1%, n = 201). Furthermore, gender, level of school, and residence were key demographic predictors of profile membership. However, weekly training duration and years of football experience were not predictors of profile differences. Moreover, compared to the moderate and low engagement profiles, the high engagement profile exhibited the highest self-esteem and lowest depression symptoms. Conclusion: Application of LPA allows for a more differentiated understanding of how football participation impacts adolescent mental health within homogeneous subgroups. This, in turn, provides a theoretical basis for formulating personalized and multi-level intervention measures.

Adolescents often face interpersonal and adjustment challenges when transitioning from a family-centered to a school-based environment, especially without a supportive group climate. To address these challenges, this study used football, the world’s most widely played team sport, as a platform to examine the impact of athlete engagement on team cohesion and its underlying mechanisms. A total of 1692 Chinese adolescents who regularly participated in football training and demonstrated a strong passion for the sport were recruited. Data were collected using the Athlete Engagement Questionnaire (AEQ), the Interpersonal Competence Questionnaire (ICQ), the Perceived Workplace Social Support Scale (PWSSS), and the Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ), all of which demonstrated good reliability and validity in this study. The results revealed that (1) athlete engagement was positively associated with team cohesion team cohesion; (2) interpersonal competence partially mediated the relationship between athlete engagement and team cohesion; (3) social support moderated both the direct relationship between athlete engagement and team cohesion and the indirect relationship between athlete engagement and interpersonal competence; and (4) social support moderated the relationship between athlete engagement and team cohesion with significant gender differences, whereas no gender differences were observed in the relationship between athlete engagement and interpersonal competence. This moderated mediation model not only enriches the conceptual model of group cohesion but also addresses gaps in the current literature. Furthermore, it provides theoretical support for physical educators to design targeted team sports interventions tailored to the characteristics of different gender groups.

This study was carried out to explore the mechanism between athlete participation and team cohesion for adolescent school soccer players. We examined the mediating role of athlete engagement and collective self-esteem between athlete participation and team cohesion for adolescent soccer players. A comprehensive investigation of 1659 primary and middle school soccer players was conducted using the Athlete Participation Scale, Athlete Engagement Questionnaire, Collective Self-Esteem Scale, and Team Cohesion Scale, and we conducted correlation, regression and pathway analyses among the variables. We found the following for adolescent soccer players: (1) Athlete engagement plays a complete mediating role between athlete participation and team cohesion. (2) Collective self-esteem plays a complete mediating role between athlete participation and team cohesion. (3) Athlete participation does not directly predict team cohesion, but can influence team cohesion through the chain mediation of athlete engagement and collective self-esteem. This study built a chain mediation model showing that athlete engagement and team cohesion mediated athlete participation and team cohesion, to investigate its mediating role for adolescent soccer players. This study provides theoretical guidance and an empirical basis for the intervention of athlete participation on team cohesion in soccer sports among adolescents.

To explore the mechanism of adolescent school soccer players’ participation in Internet addiction behavior, this study surveyed 579 young soccer players from 18 primary and secondary schools in Shaanxi Province using the soccer athlete participation scale, physical activity enjoyment scale, emotional self-efficacy scale, and Internet addiction scale. The participants included 310 males, 260 females, 411 primary school students (8–12 years), and 159 junior high school students (12–15 years). The results show that: (1) Internet addiction is negatively correlated with the enjoyment of participating in soccer. (2) Through the mediation of soccer participation, soccer’s physical active enjoyment predicts Internet addiction. (3) Soccer physical actively enjoyment negatively predicts Internet addiction through the mediation of emotional self-efficacy. (4) Negative prediction of Internet addiction through the chain mediation of soccer athlete participation and emotional self-efficacy. This study constructed a chain mediating model with athlete participation and emotional self-efficacy as key mediating variables. This study provides a theoretical and practical basis for the intervention of Internet addiction through physical activity enjoyment and soccer athlete participation.