Kidstalentum: Outdoor Training Program to Improve Emotional Intelligence in Adolescents in Manchester United Soccer Schools, Lisbon

Abstract

This paper intends to evaluate the Outdoor Training methodology, widely used by consultants working for the emotional and social skills of entrepreneurs, in order to verify if it is also valid for working with adolescents, specifically, for developing their emotional intelligence skills. With this in mind, we chose an experimental study involving two groups of 30 adolescents, one as an experimental group and the other as a control group. They were students of the Manchester United Soccer Schools, Lisbon, Portugal. For the assessment of emotional intelligence, we used the Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version. The data obtained point to the evidence of improvements in the emotional skills of adaptability, interpersonal relationships, positive mood, and stress management.