Investigation of the Psychometric Properties of the Self-Compassion Scale in Young Athletes

This research aimed to estimate evidence of validity of the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) in a sample of young Brazilian athletes. The study included 308 athletes, aged between 14 and 24 years (M=18.5??2.35, 59.4% female). Confirmatory factor analysis and internal consistency indicators demonstrated the adequacy of the six-factor model (TLI=.94, CFI=.94, RMSEA=.04). Invariance analysis suggested the equivalence of SCS as a function of sex, at the configurable, metric and scalar levels. Significant correlations were found between the ability to work as a team and the positive poles of self-compassion, as well as trust with all the SCS factors, providing evidence of validity based on the relationship with external variables. The results demonstrate the SCS potential to compose the evaluative instruments of sports science professionals who aim to promote healthy relationships with sports activities.