Multidimensional approach to perceptions in football academies about educational, relational, inclusive, safety and social aspects among players, parents and coaches

Introduction: Youth football represents an important educational and social environment for young people’s development. Previous studies have typically assessed players, coaches, and parents using the same questionnaire to directly compare perceptions. Although methodologically rigorous, this approach may overlook role-specific perspectives. Therefore, this study aimed to analyse and compare the perceptions of players, coaches, and parents regarding the educational and social value of youth football from their respective viewpoints.Methods: A multidimensional, multi-stakeholder approach was adopted through a comparative re-analysis of data collected using three role-specific questionnaires administered to players, coaches, and parents. While differing in wording, the questionnaires addressed equivalent concepts across five contextual dimensions: (1) educational value of the football academy, (2) educational and communicative relationships, (3) inclusion and equity, (4) safety and relational climate, and (5) social function of the club. Composite indices were calculated for each dimension and analysed using descriptive statistics and between-group comparisons through Welch’s ANOVA.Results: No statistically significant differences emerged among players, coaches, and parents regarding the educational value of football academies, educational relationships, and inclusion-related dimensions. However, significant differences emerged in perceptions of safety and the club’s social function (p < 0.05). Coaches reported significantly higher perceptions of safety compared with the other stakeholder groups, whereas parents attributed greater social value to football academies than players did. Descriptive analyses further highlighted greater variability in players’ responses, suggesting that young athletes’ experiences are less homogeneous than the representations provided by adults.Discussion: These findings emphasize the importance of considering stakeholder-specific perspectives when evaluating the educational and social role of youth football. Greater alignment between organizational practices, educational objectives, and young athletes’ lived experiences may enhance the effectiveness of youth sport environments. Furthermore, the role-specific methodology adopted in this study generated stakeholder-relevant findings while preserving methodological rigor, offering a valuable framework for future research in youth sport settings.