SOFT SKILLS ACQUISITION THROUGH SPORTS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Soft skills refer to social skills that are acquired in daily life and that allow people to successfully integrate into work environments. The aim of this study is to carry out a systematic review of the existing scientific literature on the acquisition and/or development of soft skills through sport. Journal articles were identified from four databases, consulting the publications until March 2023, inclusive. 1202 articles from the databases were identified and 5 additional articles were included from other search sources. 8 articles have been included that met previously established inclusion criteria. Studies included in the present systematic review show a relationship between the practice of physical activity or sport and the acquisition of soft skills. Sports practice stimulates the acquisition of soft skills among university students and in adolescent amateur athletes. The number of years of playing a sport was positively correlated with tree soft skills in preadolescents and adolescents. Soft skills transferable to the job they acquired from sport were identified. However, it is difficult to specify what the main skills acquired through sport are, due to the small number of studies included and that each one analyses different soft skills as well as using different methodology and sample.