The Role of Character Strengths on Adolescents’ Participation in Sports

Abstract

The Values in Action (VIA) Classification of Strengths and Virtues provides a detailed assessment of character based on 24-character strengths. The current study aimed to investigate whether these character strengths play role in adolescents' participation in extracurricular activities, specifically sports. To achieve this, a demographic questionnaire and the VIA Youth Survey (96-item) were completed by 3810 adolescents in the UK. The data were analyzed using binary logistic regression, and the findings indicated that the virtues of teamwork, perseverance, leadership, spirit, and zest were predictors of participation in sports during adolescence. The results also showed significant gender differences in character strengths and participation in sports. Female students scored higher on character strengths of prudence, perseverance, kindness, and humility, while male students scored higher on creativity, spirituality, and zest. Female students were also less likely to participate in sports compared to male students. The implications of these findings for future research and practice are discussed.