Training Management of the Elite Adolescent Soccer Player throughout Maturation

Professional soccer clubs invest significantly into the development of their academy prospects with the hopes of producing elite players. Talented youngsters in elite development systems are exposed to high amounts of sports-specific practise with the aims of developing the foundational skills underpinning the capabilities needed to excel in the game. Yet large disparities in maturation status, growth-related issues, and highly-specialised sport practise predisposes these elite youth soccer players to an increased injury risk. However, practitioners may scaffold a performance monitoring and injury surveillance framework over an academy to facilitate data-informed training decisions that may not only mitigate this inherent injury risk, but also enhance athletic performance. Constant communication between members of the multi-disciplinary team enables context to build around an individual’s training status and risk profile, and ensures that a progressive, varied, and bespoke training programme is provided at all stages of development to maximise athletic potential.

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Does Resisted Sled Towing Improve the Physical Qualities of Elite Youth Soccer Players of Differing Maturity Status?

Journal of Science in Sport and Exercise ◽

10.1007/s42978-020-00087-w ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Rhys Morris ◽

Tony Myers ◽

Stacey Emmonds ◽

Dave Singleton ◽

Kevin Till

Keyword(s):

Body Mass ◽

Bayesian Regression ◽

Soccer Players ◽

Height Velocity ◽

Regression To The Mean ◽

Peak Height Velocity ◽

Maturity Group ◽

Youth Soccer ◽

Professional Soccer ◽

The Impact

Abstract Purpose Sled towing has been shown to be an effective method to enhance the physical qualities in youth athletes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a 6-week sled towing intervention on muscular strength, speed and power in elite youth soccer players of differing maturity status. Method Seventy-three male elite youth soccer players aged 12–18 years (Pre-Peak Height Velocity [PHV] n = 25; Circa-PHV n = 24; Post-PHV n = 24) from one professional soccer academy participated in this study. Sprint assessments (10 m and 30 m), countermovement jump and isometric mid-thigh pull were undertaken before (T1) and after (T2) a 6-week intervention. The training intervention consisted of 6 weeks (2 × per week, 10 sprints over 20 m distance) of resisted sled towing (linear progression 10%–30% of body mass) during the competitive season. Bayesian regression models analysed differences between T1 and T2 within each maturity group. Results There were minimal changes in strength, speed and power (P = 0.35–0.80) for each maturity group across the 6-week intervention. Where there were changes with greater certainty, they are unlikely to represent real effect due to higher regression to the mean (RTM). Conclusion It appears that a 6-week sled towing training programme with loadings of 10%–30% body mass only maintains physical qualities in elite youth soccer players pre-, circa-, and post-PHV. Further research is required to determine the effectiveness of this training method in long-term athletic development programmes.

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Genética y fútbol: asociación de los polimorfismos genéticos ACTN3 y ACE-I/D en jugadores de fútbol: Revisión literaria (Genetic and soccer: association of ACTN3 and ACE-I/D genetic polymorphisms in soccer players: Literary review)

Retos ◽

10.47197/retos.v0i39.79347 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Wilson Arroyo Moya

Keyword(s):

Genetic Polymorphisms ◽

Soccer Players ◽

Muscle Injuries ◽

Physiological Level ◽

Youth Soccer ◽

Genotypic Combination ◽

Genetic Components ◽

Professional Soccer ◽

Hereditary Factors ◽

And Performance

Se ha comprobado y establecido que alrededor del 66% de los componentes del rendimiento y estado del atleta se explican por los factores hereditarios. Dos de los polimorfismos genéticos mas estudiados con relación al rendimiento deportivo en la ultima década, son el ACTN3 R577X y el ACE I/D. El objetivo de este estudio fue resumir las posibles asociaciones de ambos polimorfismos y el rendimiento en jugadores de fútbol, determinando la combinación alélica y genotípica que más destaca en esta población y, además, observar las relaciones de estos a nivel físico y fisiológico. Para la realización de este estudio se llevaron a cabo dos fases, una primera de revisión bibliográfica y una segunda fase de clasificación y análisis de la información. Los estudios evidencian una mayor influencia de los alelos ACE-D y ACTN-R, y de los genotipos ACE-ID y ACTN-RR. Se observó que los sujetos con estas combinaciones tenían mejores rendimientos es pruebas de velocidad y fuerza. Por otro lado, el polimorfismo ACTN3 está directamente relacionado con las lesiones musculares. En conclusión, se pudo observar una relación entre los polimorfismos genéticos y el rendimiento en jugadores de fútbol. Los componentes genéticos se pueden integrar como un nuevo componente dentro de la caracterización del deporte y como una herramienta dentro de un modelo de identificacción y detección de talentos en el fútbol juvenil. Además, los biomarcadores genéticos podrían ser responsables en un futuro, del estudio del riesgo de lesiones para que se optimice mucho más el rendimiento en el fútbol profesional. Abstract. It has been verified and established that around 66% of the components of the athlete's performance and state are explained by hereditary factors. Two of the most studied genetic polymorphisms in relation to sports performance in the last decade are ACTN3 R577X and ACE I/D. The aim of this study was to summarize the possible associations of both polymorphisms and the performance in soccer players, determining the allelic and genotypic combination that stands out the most in this population and, also, to observe their relationships at the physical and physiological level. In order to complete this study, two phases were carried out, the first one of literature review and, the second one which covered the information classification and analysis. The studies show a greater influence of the ACE-D and ACTN-R alleles, and higher presence of the ACE-ID and ACTN-RR genotypes. Subjects with these combinations were found to perform better on speed and strength tests. On the other hand, the ACTN3 polymorphism is directly related to muscle injuries. In conclusion, a relationship between genetic polymorphisms and performance in soccer players could be observed. Genetic components can be integrated as a new component within the characterization of sport and as a tool within a model of identification and detection of talents in youth soccer. In addition, genetic biomarkers could be responsible, in the future, for the study of the risk of injury so that performance in professional soccer is much more optimized.

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Positional analysis of Brazilian soccer players using GPS data

Revista Brasileira de Computação Aplicada ◽

10.5335/rbca.v12i3.10234 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 16-32

Author(s):

Randal Gasparini ◽

Alexandre Álvaro

Keyword(s):

Soccer Player ◽

Soccer Players ◽

Gps Data ◽

Positional Analysis ◽

Professional Soccer ◽

Commercial Company ◽

The One ◽

A Company ◽

Binary Problems ◽

The Ideal

The professional soccer is always changing and is constantly searching tools and data to help the decision-making,providing tactics and techniques to the team. In Brazil, this sport goes to same way and the investments areconsiderable. The One Sports is a company that capture GPS data from professional soccer players of someBrazilian teams. This set of data has a lot of features and the One Sports asked if was possible to predict the idealposition of a player. Then, was firmed a cooperation between a academic study and a commercial company. Thiswork find to understand a propose methods and techniques to predict the ideal position of the soccer player, usingmachine learning algorithms. The database has more of one million of tuples. It was submitted to preprocessingstep, what is fundamental, because generated new features, removed incomplete and noisy data, generated anew balanced dataset and delete outliers, preparing the data to execution of the algorithms k-NN, decision trees,logistic regression, SVM and neural networks. With the purpose to understand the performance and accuracy,some scenarios were tested. There was poor results when executed multiclass problems. The best results comefrom binary problems. The models k-NN and SVM, specifically to this study, had the best accuracy. It is importantto note that SVM spent more than six hours to finish your execution, and k-NN used less than one and halfminute to end.

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Assessment of Injury Risk Factors in Male Youth Soccer Players

Strength and Conditioning Journal ◽

10.1519/ssc.0000000000000184 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 38 (1) ◽

pp. 12-21 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Paul J. Read ◽

Jon L. Oliver ◽

Mark B. A. De Ste Croix ◽

Gregory D. Myer ◽

Rhodri S. Lloyd

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Injury Risk ◽

Soccer Players ◽

Male Youth ◽

Youth Soccer ◽

Injury Risk Factors

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Hopping and Landing Performance in Male Youth Soccer Players: Effects of Age and Maturation

International Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1055/s-0043-114009 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 38 (12) ◽

pp. 902-908 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Paul Read ◽

Jon Oliver ◽

Mark De Ste Croix ◽

Gregory Myer ◽

Rhodri Lloyd

Keyword(s):

Injury Risk ◽

Soccer Players ◽

Height Velocity ◽

Chronological Age ◽

Peak Height Velocity ◽

Temporary Reduction ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Male Youth ◽

Youth Soccer ◽

Increased Risk

AbstractQuantifying hopping and landing performances can assist coaches in identifying young male soccer players who may be at increased risk of injury. The influence of chronological age and maturation on these measures in this population is unknown. Single leg hop for distance (SLHD) and 75% horizontal hop and stick landing force (75%Hop) were examined in a cross-sectional sample (N=400) of elite male youth soccer players. Between-group differences for both chronological age (U11–U18) and stage of maturation (pre-, circa- or post-peak height velocity (PHV)) were analyzed. Absolute 75%Hop increased with both age and maturation. Apart from the U18s, pre-PHV and U11–U12 players displayed the greatest relative landing forces compared to all other groups (p<0.001; d=0.56–0.93). Absolute and relative SLHD were greatest in the U18s and post-PHV players (p<0.001; d=0.35–2.04). A trend showed increased SLHD with each consecutive age group although a reduction in performance was identified in the U13s (d=0.50–0.59). High volumes of accumulated soccer participation in the U18s may lead to altered landing strategies indicative of high injury risk. A temporary reduction in hop performance in the U13s may also be linked to a period of adolescent awkwardness.

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Injuries in Professional Male Soccer Players in the Netherlands: A Prospective Cohort Study

Journal of Athletic Training ◽

10.4085/1062-6050-49.3.64 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 50 (2) ◽

pp. 211-216 ◽

Cited By ~ 58

Author(s):

Janine H. Stubbe ◽

Anne-Marie M. C. van Beijsterveldt ◽

Sissi van der Knaap ◽

Jasper Stege ◽

Evert A. Verhagen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Injury Risk ◽

Knee Injuries ◽

Lower Extremities ◽

Body Part ◽

Soccer Players ◽

Injury Incidence ◽

Time Loss ◽

Professional Soccer ◽

Common Diagnosis

Context: Injuries are a major adverse event in a soccer player's career. Reducing injury incidence requires a thorough knowledge of the epidemiology of soccer injuries. Objective: To investigate the incidence and characteristics of injuries in the Dutch premier soccer league. Design: Cohort study. Setting: The Dutch premier soccer league. Patients or Other Participants: During the 2009–2010 soccer season, a total of 217 professional soccer players from 8 teams were prospectively followed. Main Outcome Measure(s): The medical staff recorded time-loss injuries, including information on injuries (ie, type, body part, duration) and exposure data for training sessions and matches. Results: A total of 286 injuries were recorded, affecting 62.7% of the players. The overall injury incidence was 6.2 injuries per 1000 player-hours, 2.8 in training sessions and 32.8 in matches. Most of the recorded injuries were acute (68.5%). Eight percent of the injuries were classified as recurrent. Injuries were most likely to be located in the lower extremities (82.9%). Injury time loss ranged from 1 to 752 days, with a median of 8 days. Knee injuries had the greatest consequences in terms of days of absence from soccer play (on average, 45 days). The most common diagnosis was muscle/tendon injury of the lower extremities (32.9%). Conclusions: Injury risk in the Dutch premier soccer league is high, especially during matches. Preventive measures should focus on the most common diagnoses, namely, muscle/tendon injuries of the lower extremities.

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Somatotype of Competitive Youth Soccer Players From Brazil

Journal of Human Kinetics ◽

10.2478/hukin-2014-0079 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 42 (1) ◽

pp. 259-266 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Yara Lucy Fidelix ◽

Juliane Berria ◽

Elisa Pinheiro Ferrari ◽

Jaelson Gonçalves Ortiz ◽

Tiago Cetolin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Mass ◽

Analysis Of Variance ◽

Body Height ◽

Anthropometric Measurements ◽

Soccer Players ◽

Youth Soccer ◽

Youth Athletes ◽

Professional Soccer ◽

Post Hoc

Abstract The aim of this study was to identify the morphological configuration of youth athletes from professional soccer clubs and to verify their differences according to the tactical position on the field. Overall, 67 male players aged 15 to 17 years were evaluated. The examined anthropometric measurements included body mass, body height, skinfolds (triceps, subscapular, supraspinal and medial calf), girths (flexed and tensed arm and calf) and breadths (humerus and femur). For statistical purposes, analysis of variance and post hoc Bonferroni and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used. We concluded that goalkeepers were heavier and taller than center backs (p = 0.015 and p = 0.001), midfielders (p = 0.005 and p <0.001) and center forward players (p = 0.024 and p <0.001). The average somatotype for defense, forward and goalkeeper positions was a balanced mesomorph. Midfield players showed ectomorphic-mesomorph characteristics. It was concluded that goalkeepers were characterized as being taller and heavier and that somatotype features of athletes were similar between positions, except for midfield players

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Inter-relationship between sleep quality, insomnia and sleep disorders in professional soccer players

BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine ◽

10.1136/bmjsem-2018-000498 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. e000498

Author(s):

Karim Khalladi ◽

Abdulaziz Farooq ◽

Sofiane Souissi ◽

Christopher P Herrera ◽

Karim Chamari ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sleep Quality ◽

Sleep Disorders ◽

Athletic Performance ◽

Daytime Sleepiness ◽

Severity Index ◽

Soccer Players ◽

Poor Sleep ◽

Poor Sleep Quality ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Professional Soccer

ObjectiveInsufficient sleep duration and quality has negative effects on athletic performance, injury susceptibility and athlete development. This study aimed to assess the sleep characteristics of professional Qatar Stars League (QSL) soccer players.MethodsIn a cross-sectional study, QSL players (n=111; 23.7±4.8 years) completed three questionnaires to screen sleep disorders: (1) Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), (2) Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and (3) Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Poor sleep quality was defined as PSQI≥5, excessive daytime sleepiness was defined by ESS>8 and insomnia was defined as ISI≥11.ResultsThe prevalence of poor sleep quality (PSQI≥5) was 68.5%, with subthreshold insomnia (ISI≥11) 27.0% and daytime sleepiness 22.5% (ESS>8). Sleep quality was positively associated with insomnia (r=0.42, p<0.001) and daytime sleepiness (r=0.23, p=0.018). Age, anthropometry, body composition and ethnicity were not associated with any of the reported sleep quality parameters.ConclusionThe prevalence of poor sleep quality (68.5%) reported should concern practitioners. Increasing awareness of the importance of sleep relative to athletic performance, recovery, injury and illness appears prudent. Further, regular qualitative/quantitative sleep monitoring may help target subsequent evidence-informed interventions to improve sleep in those demonstrating undesirable sleep traits.

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