scholarly journals Coaches’ Evaluations of Match Performance in Academy Soccer Players in Relation to the Adolescent Growth Spurt

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 359-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan Hill ◽  
Sam Scott ◽  
Darragh McGee ◽  
Sean Cumming
Keyword(s):  
Age Groups ◽  
Soccer Players ◽  
Growth Spurt ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Youth Soccer ◽  
Impact Performance ◽  
Rate Of Growth ◽  
Talent Selection ◽  
Selection Decisions ◽  
Player Performance

AbstractIndividual differences in biological maturation present challenges for coaches involved with youth soccer players. Youth in the same chronological age group vary in terms of stage of maturity (pre, circum- and post-pubescent) and rate of growth, but how this affects coaches’ evaluations of player performance is unknown. The aim of this study was to compare youth soccer coaches’ evaluations of players match performances before, during and post growth spurt in a professional English soccer academy across four seasons. Two hundred and seventy-eight male soccer players in the under-9 to under-16 age-groups had their performances evaluated by their coach on a 4-point Likert scale. For each game, players were categorised by their maturity status estimated using percentage of predicted adult height at the time of observation. A one-way ANCOVA controlling for the level of opposition and game outcome revealed that coaches’ evaluations declined from the pre- to during growth spurt stages, however, this was only significant in the under 12 age-group. Further, coaches’ evaluations increased again in the post-growth spurt stage, although only significant in the under 15 age-group. Coaches evaluations of player performance appear to vary in accordance with stage of maturity and rate of growth. Practitioners in youth soccer should understand the extent to which maturity status may adversely impact performance and consider this when making talent selection decisions.

scholarly journals Differences in Squat Jump, Linear Sprint, and Change-of-Direction Performance among Youth Soccer Players According to Competitive Level

Sports ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 149
Author(s):  
Michael Keiner ◽  
Andreas Kapsecker ◽  
Tobias Stefer ◽  
Björn Kadlubowski ◽  
Klaus Wirth
Keyword(s):  
Age Groups ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Soccer Players ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Male Youth ◽  
Squat Jump ◽  
Youth Soccer ◽  
Change Of Direction ◽  
Talent Selection ◽  
Selection Test

The aim of this investigation was to analyze significant differences in performance depending on the level of play (elite vs. amateur) in youth soccer players (under 17 years. old (U17) and U19). A cross-sectional study was conducted, and 45 elite and amateur male youth soccer players (16.56 ± 0.9 years old) were evaluated in their performances in squat jump (SJ), 10 m linear sprint (LS), 20 m LS, 505 agility test (505) and Illinois agility test (IAT). Differences in performances were analyzed with a 2 × 2 MANOVA, post-hoc ANOVAs, and Hedges’ g (g) for pairwise comparisons of subgroups (level of play and age group). This investigation showed that the elite player performance was significantly (p < 0.05) better in all performance tests than amateur players in both age groups. Interestingly, this investigation showed that the more complex the target exercise, the larger the effect sizes for group differences (SJ: g = 0.64–1.18, LS: g = 0.05–2.23, change-of-direction (COD): g = 3.01–6.84). The SJ, LS, 505, and IAT may prove useful in talent selection test batteries to separate between competitive levels in youth soccer players.

scholarly journals “He’s Just a Wee Laddie”: The Relative Age Effect in Male Scottish Soccer

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
James H. Dugdale ◽  
Allistair P. McRobert ◽  
Viswanath B. Unnithan
Keyword(s):  
Financial Constraints ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Age Effect ◽  
Soccer Players ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Male Youth ◽  
Youth Soccer ◽  
Relative Age ◽  
Relative Age Effect ◽  
And Performance

Significant structural, developmental, and financial constraints exist in Scottish soccer that may predicate a different approach to talent identification and development. To our knowledge, no published reports exist evaluating the prevalence of the relative age effect (RAE) in Scottish soccer players. Consequently, the aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of the RAE among varied playing levels and ages of male Scottish youth soccer players. Birthdates of male youth players (n = 1,230) from U10 to U17 age groups and from playing levels: “Amateur” (n = 482), “Development” (n = 214), and “Performance” (n = 534), alongside a group of male Scottish senior professional players (n = 261) were recorded and categorized into quartiles (Q1 = January–March; Q2 = April–June; Q3 = July–September; and Q4 = October–December) and semesters (S1 = January–June and S2 = July–December) from the start of the selection year. Birthdates were analyzed for: (a) each playing level and (b) each age group irrespective of playing level. For the varied playing levels examined, an RAE was evident in “Development” and “Performance” playing levels only at youth level. When examining each age group, an RAE was observed in U12–U17 players only. While there was a slight asymmetry favoring Q1 born senior professional players, the RAE was not present within this group of our sample. Results from our study suggest that a bias in selecting individuals born earlier in the selection year may exist within male soccer academy structures, but not at amateur level. The asymmetry favoring chronologically older players at youth but not professional level questions the efficacy of this (un)conscious bias within male Scottish soccer players.

Body size, fatness and skeletal age in female youth soccer players

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diogo V. Martinho ◽  
Manuel J Coelho-e-Silva ◽  
João Gonçalves Santos ◽  
Tomas G Oliveira ◽  
Cláudia S Minderico ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Adolescent Girls ◽  
Youth Sports ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Skeletal Age ◽  
Soccer Players ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Youth Soccer ◽  
Early Maturing ◽  
The Difference

Growth and maturation are central concerns in the organization of training and competitions in youth sports. This study examined maturity-associated variation in body size and adiposity among adolescent girls participating in competitive age group youth soccer. The sample included 441 players 10.08-16.73 years of age. Stature and body mass were measured and body composition was predicted. The Fels method was used to estimate skeletal age. Skeletally maturity status (late, average or early maturing) was based on the difference between chronological and skeletal age for each player. Mean stature approximated the 50th percentiles of the general population in all competitive age groups, while mean weight fluctuated between 50th and 75th percentiles. Age- and maturity-specific means for estimated fat mass ranged between 18.0% and 28.2%. The number of players classified as skeletally mature increased with competitive age groups (under-13: 0%; under-15: 8%; under-17: 49%). In general, early maturing girls tended to be heavier than their age group peers and especially when compared to late maturing players.

Size and Maturity Mismatch in Youth Soccer Players 11- to 14-Years-Old

2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 596-612 ◽  
Author(s):  
António J. Figueiredo ◽  
Manuel J. Coelho e Silva ◽  
Sean P. Cumming ◽  
Robert M. Malina
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Maturity ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Goal Orientations ◽  
Pubic Hair ◽  
Soccer Players ◽  
Chronological Age ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Male Youth ◽  
Pubertal Status ◽  
Youth Soccer

The purpose of the study was to compare the anthropometric, functional and sport-specific skill characteristics and goal orientations of male youth soccer players at the extremes of height and skeletal maturity in two competitive age groups, 11–12 and 13–14 years. The shortest and tallest players, and least and most skeletally mature players (n = 8 per group) within each age group were compared on chronological age; skeletal age (Fels method); pubertal status (pubic hair); size, proportions and adiposity; four functional capacities; four soccer-specific skills; and task and ego orientation. The tallest players were older chronologically, advanced in maturity (skeletal, pubertal) and heavier, and had relatively longer legs than the shortest players in each age group. At 11–12 years, the most mature players were chronologically younger but advanced in pubertal status, taller and heavier with more adiposity. At 13–14 years, the most mature players were taller, heavier and advanced in pubertal status but did not differ in chronological age compared with the least mature players. Players at the extremes of height and skeletal maturity differed in speed and power (tallest > shortest; most mature > lest mature), but did not differ consistently in aerobic endurance and in soccer-specific skills. Results suggested that size and strength discrepancies among youth players were not a major advantage or disadvantage to performance. By inference, coaches and sport administrators may need to provide opportunities for or perhaps protect smaller, skilled players during the adolescent years.

scholarly journals Landing Kinematics in Elite Male Youth Soccer Players of Different Chronologic Ages and Stages of Maturation

2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 372-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul J. Read ◽  
Jon L. Oliver ◽  
Mark B. A. De Ste Croix ◽  
Gregory D. Myer ◽  
Rhodri S. Lloyd
Keyword(s):  
Age Groups ◽  
Soccer Players ◽  
Height Velocity ◽  
Growth Spurt ◽  
Knee Valgus ◽  
Peak Height Velocity ◽  
Male Youth ◽  
Youth Soccer ◽  
Left Limb ◽  
The Right

Context:  Despite the high frequency of knee injuries in athletes, few researchers have studied the effects of chronologic age and stage of maturation on knee-joint kinematics in male youth soccer players. Objective:  To use a coach-friendly screening tool to examine knee-valgus scores for players of different ages and at different stages of maturation. Design:  Cross-sectional study. Setting:  Academy soccer clubs. Patients or Other Participants:  A total of 400 elite male youth soccer players aged 10 to 18 years categorized by chronologic age and stage of maturation based on their years from peak height velocity (PHV). Main Outcome Measure(s):  Knee valgus was evaluated during the tuck-jump assessment via 2-dimensional analysis. Frontal-plane projection angles were subjectively classified as minor (&lt;10°), moderate (10°–20°), or severe (&gt;20°), and using these classifications, we scored knee valgus in the tuck jump as 0 (no valgus), 1 (minor), 2 (moderate), or 3 (severe). Results:  A trend toward higher valgus scores was observed in the younger age groups and the pre-PHV group. The lowest frequency of no valgus occurred in the U18 and post-PHV groups. The highest percentages of severe scores were in the U13 and pre-PHV groups for the right limb. Knee-valgus scores were lower for both lower extremities in the U18 group than in all other age groups (P &lt; .001) except the U16 group. Scores were lower for the post-PHV than the pre-PHV group for the right limb (P &lt; .001) and both pre-PHV and circa-PHV groups for the left limb (P &lt; .001). Noteworthy interlimb asymmetries were evident in the U14, U15, and circa-PHV groups. Conclusions:  Reductions in knee valgus with incremental age and during the later stages of maturation indicated that this risk factor was more prevalent in younger players. Interlimb asymmetry may also emerge around the time of the peak growth spurt and early adolescence, potentially increasing the risk of traumatic injury.

scholarly journals Fundamental Tactical Principles of Soccer: a Comparison of Different Age Groups

2017 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 207-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulo Henrique Borges ◽  
José Guilherme ◽  
Leandro Rechenchosky ◽  
Luciane Cristina Arantes da Costa ◽  
Wilson Rinadi
Keyword(s):  
Age Groups ◽  
Progressive Increase ◽  
Soccer Players ◽  
Study Analysis ◽  
Cohen’S Kappa ◽  
Youth Soccer ◽  
Cohen's Kappa

AbstractThe fundamental tactical principles of the game of soccer represent a set of action rules that guide behaviours related to the management of game space. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of fundamental offensive and defensive tactical principles among youth soccer players from 12 to 17 years old. The sample consisted of 3689 tactical actions performed by 48 soccer players in three age categories: under 13 (U-13), under 15 (U-15), and under 17 (U-17). Tactical performance was measured using the System of Tactical Assessment in Soccer (FUT-SAT). The Kruskal Wallis, Mann-Whitney U, Friedman, Wilcoxon, and Cohen’s Kappa tests were used in the study analysis. The results showed that the principles of “offensive coverage” (p = 0.01) and “concentration” (p = 0.04) were performed more frequently by the U-17 players than the U-13 players. The tactical principles “width and length” (p < 0.05) and “defensive unit” (p < 0.05) were executed more frequently by younger soccer players. It can be concluded that the frequency with which fundamental tactical principles are performed varies between the gaming categories, which implies that there is valuation of defensive security and a progressive increase in “offensive coverage” caused by increased confidence and security in offensive actions.

scholarly journals Age-Group Differences in Reactive Strength and Measures of Intra-day Reliability in Female International Footballers

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Doyle ◽  
Declan Browne ◽  
Dan Horan
Keyword(s):  
Soccer Player ◽  
Intraclass Correlation ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Soccer Players ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Strength Index ◽  
Warm Up ◽  
Jump Test ◽  
Female Soccer Player

The aim of this present study was to compare the reactive strength index (RSI) characteristics and trial to trial reliability of U17, U19 and Senior female international soccer players. Fifty – seven elite female soccer player participated in the study, (age:  18.1 + 3.1 years; height: 167.5 + 6.3 cm; weight: 61.84 + 7.7 kg). Participants performed 3 maximal repetitions of the 10/5 repeated jump test (10/5RJT) following a specific warm-up and familiarisation protocol. Senior players possessed higher levels of RSI with large effect size present when compared with the U17 (P= 0.043, ES = .97) and U19 (ES = 0.85) age groups. Trivial differences (ES = 0.17) in RSI existed between the U17 and U19 age categories. Trial-to-trial analyses demonstrated 10/5 RJT RSI to possess adequate levels of reliability with a range of mean coefficients of variance (CV) of 3.1 – 7.3 %   and intraclass correlation (ICC) between 0.95 – 0.98 present across all three age groups. However, large variations in the between – athlete CV for RSI were revealed ranging from 1 – 27 %, 0.4 – 10.3%, and 1 – 7 % for U17, U19 and senior age groups respectively. These results suggest that age group can distinguish reactive strength capabilities. In addition, female international footballers with higher levels of RSI appear to produce more reliable measures of RSI via the 10/5 RJT.

scholarly journals Landing Error Scoring System for Screening Risk Scores among Elite-Youth Soccer Players

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 351
Author(s):  
Yasar Salci
Keyword(s):  
Scoring System ◽  
Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Screening Method ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Neuromuscular Control ◽  
Soccer Players ◽  
Risk Scores ◽  
Ligament Injury ◽  
Youth Soccer ◽  
Anterior Cruciate

Identifying the risk of anterior cruciate ligament injury is very important for the careers of elite players. When identifying risk factors, effective, easy, valid, reliable methods applicable to a large number of participants should be used. The purpose of this study was to compare the landing pattern of elite-youth soccer players using the landing error scoring system (LESS) which is a valid and reliable qualitative screening method. 95 volunteer elite-youth soccer players (U19, U17, U16 & U15) between the ages of 14 and 18 participated in this study. Jump-landings were recorded by two camcorders from sagittal and frontal planes. These records were replayed and scored by a trained rater on LESS score sheets. There were statistically significant differences in LESS scores among the soccer age groups (p = 0.00). Post-hoc analysis demonstrated significant differences between U19 and U17 (p = 0.00), U17 and U15 (p = 0.00) and U16 and U15 (p = 0.01) soccer players. The best LESS score was found in U17 players and U15 players had the weakest score. The higher LESS score of the U15 players may be related to the neuromuscular control ability however, more evidence is needed to confirm the potential influence of age categories on LESS scores.

scholarly journals Internal, external and repeated-sprint demands in small-sided games: A comparison between bouts and age groups in elite youth soccer players

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. e0249906
Author(s):  
Richard Hauer ◽  
Paul Störchle ◽  
Bettina Karsten ◽  
Harald Tschan ◽  
Arnold Baca
Keyword(s):  
Age Groups ◽  
Soccer Players ◽  
Internal Load ◽  
Youth Soccer ◽  
Training Tool ◽  
Low Intensity ◽  
Repeated Sprint ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Younger Age ◽  
Image Position

This study investigated the activity profile during small-sided games (SSG) in elite youth soccer players. Internal load (IL) including heart rate (HR) and external load (EL) such as distance covered in different speed-zones (SZ) were collected from forty-eight players of three different teams (U15, U16, U18). The investigation included a total of eighteen 5vs.5 SSGs, each consisting of four 2-minute bouts on a 40x32m pitch during spring season. Total group results (n = 48) showed a reduction in total-distance (p = 0.001; ηp2 = 0.12), high-intensity-running (p = 0.009; ηp2 = 0.09), and low-intensity-running distance (p = 0.028; ηp2 = 0.07) between bouts. Similarly, a reduction in the number of both acceleration-low (p = 0.001; ηp2 = 0.12) and deceleration-high (p = 0.003; ηp2 = 0.11) values was observed. Additionally, time spent in HR-zones 3 and 4 (p≤0.007; ηp2 ≥ 0.10), increased, with a reduction in HR-zone 1 (p = 0.000, ηp2 = 0.25). Age group comparison showed less distance covered in SZ 1 (p≤0.000; ηp2 = 0.56) and greater deceleration-high values (p≤0.038; ηp2 = 0.32) in U15 players compared to other age groups. Further, U15 showed lower values in low-intensity-running compared to U18 (p = 0.038; ηp2 = 0.22). No age-related differences were found for IL and repeated sprint ability (RSA) values. The higher EL in younger age groups should be taken into account when implementing soccer specific SSGs. In addition, HRmean values between 80–85% of HRmax and RSA numbers, which are similar to match-play data, indicate SSGs as an effective training tool to prepare youth soccer athletes for the demands of competition.

Playing Position: Anthropometric and Fitness Demands in Youth Soccer

2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 151-168
Author(s):  
Aristotelis Gioldasis ◽  
Evangelos Bekris ◽  
Ioannis Gissis
Keyword(s):  
Vertical Jump ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
The Other ◽  
Soccer Players ◽  
Early Age ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Running Speed ◽  
Youth Soccer ◽  
Individualized Training ◽  
Almost All

Abstract The aim of this study was to examine the anthropometric and fitness characteristics of soccer players with different positional role. Although, players’ skills are not equally distributed in each position, at elite soccer they have to perform each skill at a sufficient level. However, coaches expertise those from an early age in specific positions without giving them an holistic individualized training. In the study participated 312 Greek players aged 6 to 17 (M= 11.89; SD= 2.33) of 5 age groups (group U7-U8; group U9-U10; group U11-U12; group U13-U14; group U15-U16; group U17). Anthropometric (height, weight, body mass index and body fat) and fitness characteristics (flexibility, vertical jump, running speed, agility and VO2max) of participants were measured. The study showed that goalkeepers and central defenders tend to perform worse than players of the other positional groups in most of their fitness characteristics for almost all the age groups. Furthermore, many tendencies were observed in anthropometric and fitness characteristics between players with different positional roles. This study provides suggestions to coaches regarding their practice of positioning players according to their anthropometric and fitness characteristics for a short term success.

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