Exclusion and abandonment in a children’s and youth football league of Argentina

Abstract

Introduction: Children’s and youth football is a cultural and social phenomenon of huge importance in Argentina. Problem: This work analyzes fundamental aspects of the organizational structure of children’s and youth football in the league of Mar del Plata, one of the most important cities in the country. Methods: Since it combines qualitative and quantitative approaches, this research can be considered as an instance of the mixed methods. The analysis of basic quantitative data enables us to account for the fundamental aspects of the organizational structure of children’s and youth football in the league of Mar del Plata. This elementary quantitative analysis is combined with an interpretation of reports based both on a discursive and an ethnographic analysis. The combination of quantitative and qualitative analyses supports the findings of this research. Results: There is a severe process of exclusion and abandonment in the Mar del Plata football league (MFL). Not only it is the case that the number of female players is extremely low compared to the number of male players, but it is also the case that more than a thousand male players are abandoned year after year by the MFL. The complex process of abandonment and exclusion is also strongly connected with a series of diverse phenomena, like sexism, the absence of people with disabilities, the imitation of professional football practices, and the use of labels and stereotypes. Conclusion: Since it systematically promotes exclusion and abandonment, the MFL cannot fulfill an educational or inclusive function, and cannot even help to form high-level professional players. In its current state, the organizational structure of the MFL should apply some radical but plausible transformations.