the USA (men and women's national teams and Major League Soccer) have created a need to determine a better understanding of specific psychological characteristics of players. Granted, a competitive mindset is advantageous to compete successfully in sports (Frederick, C.M. &; Ryan, R.M., 1993), but limited research has been directed toward defining the competitive mindset of young elite soccer players. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate motivational characteristics of that group and ascertain if age or the position played impacted those traits. Following written informed consent, 66 elite, young male soccer players from two age groups completed the Sports Attitude Inventory (Willis, 1992) and Levenson's Locus of Control Scale (Levenson, 1981). Data were grouped for analyses by birth years and primary position played (forward, midfielder, defender or goalkeeper). Statistical analysis indicated a significant effect by age, but not by position. Univariate results indicated that older players