Author(s): ZHOU, Y.T., LIU, F.M., AINOA, R., WANG, M.Q., ZHANG, J.Y., Institution: HUNAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, Country: CHINA, Abstract-ID: 1859

Background
China’s ambition to become a global football power has led to substantial investment in youth academies. However, the developmental experiences of elite young players within this rapidly evolving system remain underexplored. Unlike established football nations, Chinese academies operate within a unique cultural-structural context characterised by ‘three together’ model (training, studying, residing), Confucian hierarchies, and reliance on relational networks. While existing research examines isolated performance factors, few studies have holistically investigated the negative psychosocial hurdles athletes face from multiple stakeholder perspectives. This study, therefore, aimed to explore the systemic and individual barriers perceived by athletes, parents, and coaches within China’s elite youth football academy.
Methods
Grounded in critical realism, this qualitative study employed a two-stage semi-structured interview. 35 participants (23 male players, 6 parents, and 6 coaches) were recruited from eight professional academies across three tiers of Chinese football. Data were collected via focus groups and individual interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis, guided by retroductive reasoning, was used to identify patterns in experiential data and theorise the underlying structural and cultural mechanisms shaping participants’ experiences.
Results
Two themes were identified. “It’s Out of My Control” took systemic barriers perceived as beyond players’ control, including: (1) financial instability driven by volatile real estate investment; (2) institutional chaos and normalised corruption; and (3) institutionalised bullying, rationalised by authoritarian coaching cultures. “Through my effort” reflected effort-mediated difficulties, including: (1) unviable goal conflict between football and education, intensified by Confucian filial piety; (2) chronic injuries from unsustainable training loads; (3) interpersonal conflicts exacerbated by hierarchical silence; and (4) uncertain futures due to policy volatility and bureaucratic registration failures. Triangulated perspectives revealed how structural precarity and cultural norms amplify psychosocial strain, eroding trust, well-being, and career sustainability.
Conclusions
This study provides empirical evidence that China’s youth football academies are characterised by a fundamental misalignment between aspirational policy goals and the lived realities of stakeholders. Barriers are not merely operational failures but are deeply embedded in and amplified by specific socio-cultural logics. The findings challenge short-term, extractive talent models and underscore the need for athlete-centred reforms, including financial regulation, transparent governance, dual-career pathways, and psychosocial support. Without systemic transformation, the current environment risks perpetuating a cycle of precarity and attrition, undermining both athlete welfare and China’s long-term football development ambitions.