Article
Sport Sciences
Dennis Ludin, Lars Donath, Stephen Cobley, David Mann, Michael Romann
Summary: The study suggests that establishing a maturation independent talent identification system and using player labelling can help overcome biased selection based on maturity levels, thus improving talent development in sports.
JOURNAL OF SPORTS SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Liandi van den Berg, Petronella Jonck, Jhalukpreya Surujlal
Summary: The study examined youth sports development pathways in a South African context and found that factors such as supportive and challenging environment, as well as long-term development focus, did not have a statistically significant impact on the development pathway of youth athletes. Further research is needed to develop a more suitable measuring instrument to assess talent development within the athlete environment being investigated.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Physiology
Filipe Manuel Clemente, Cain C. T. Clark, Cesar Leao, Ana Filipa Silva, Ricardo Lima, Hugo Sarmento, Antonio J. Figueiredo, Thomas Rosemann, Beat Knechtle
Summary: The study found significant correlations between player's minutes played and maturity offset, leg length, and sitting height. The multiple linear regression model explained 35% of the variation in minutes played. Body composition and anthropometric data can account for a significant amount of the variation in player's minutes played.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Sport Sciences
Morrie Toum, Rhys Tribolet, Mark L. Watsford, Job Fransen
Summary: The study found that biological maturity affects anthropometry and certain measures of physical fitness in Australian football players, but not motor competence and match involvements. A player's maturity could influence their selection and progression into advanced academy programs.
SCIENCE AND MEDICINE IN FOOTBALL
(2021)
Article
Sport Sciences
Dennis Ludin, Lars Donath, Michael Romann
Summary: Reliable talent identification and selection processes are necessary for accurately choosing young athletes with potential for talent development programs. This study aimed to assess the agreement among talent scouts in ranking under-11 male youth football players and explore their approaches to assessing talent. The results showed disagreement in the rankings among the scouts, indicating the need for a more structured process in talent identification. Future research should focus on developing guidelines incorporating independently evaluated sub-predictors to improve the reliability of talent identification.
JOURNAL OF SPORTS SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Sport Sciences
Shaun Abbott, Clorinda Hogan, Marcela Torres Castiglioni, Goshi Yamauchi, Lachlan J. G. Mitchell, James Salter, Michael Romann, Stephen Cobley
Summary: The study identified a high prevalence of 'early-maturing' swimmers and a complete absence of 'late-maturers' among Australian male 100-m Freestyle swimmers. The Mat-CAPs adjustment procedures could remove maturation-related differences in swimming performance and eliminate the advantage of advanced maturity timing and status in Freestyle performance.
JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND MEDICINE IN SPORT
(2021)
Article
Sport Sciences
Daniel Fortin-Guichard, Inge Huberts, Jurrit Sanders, Ruud van Elk, David L. Mann, Geert J. P. Savelsbergh
Summary: Talent identification in football is complex, and this study found that the 30 m sprint speed is the best indicator for predicting selection into a professional football academy, with other predictors or their rate of change not improving the prediction.
JOURNAL OF SPORTS SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Sport Sciences
Elia Rishis, Kathryn Johnston, Joseph Baker
Summary: The NFL Combine allows NFL teams to assess potential athletes' medical histories and abilities. The purpose of this systematic review is to evaluate the predictive validity of the combine according to PRISMA.
JOURNAL OF SPORTS SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Sport Sciences
Karl Marius Aksum, Marius Pokolm, Christian Thue Bjorndal, Robert Rein, Daniel Memmert, Geir Jordet
Summary: This study analyzed the scanning behavior of elite youth football players during matches, finding that U19 players performed more scans and a positive relationship between scan frequency and pass success. Critical factors influencing scanning behavior include opponent pressure and pitch position, with central midfielders and central defenders having higher scan frequencies. These findings support and extend previous research, emphasizing the impact of playing positions and age groups on visual perception and scanning in football.
JOURNAL OF SPORTS SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Alexander B. T. McAuley, David C. Hughes, Loukia G. Tsaprouni, Ian Varley, Bruce Suraci, Joseph Baker, Adam J. Herbert, Adam L. Kelly
Summary: This study examined the differences in genotype frequency distribution of thirty-three SNVs between youth development phase (YDP) and professional development phase (PDP) academy football players, finding that PDP players had significantly higher frequency of the IL6 gene G allele compared to YDP players. Although the total genotype scores (TGS) and weighted total genotype scores (TWGS) had some significance in distinguishing between the two phases, they had poor discriminatory power.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Alexander B. T. McAuley, Ian Varley, Adam J. Herbert, Bruce Suraci, Joseph Baker, Kathryn Johnston, Adam L. Kelly
Summary: The study examined the polygenic profiles associated with maturity timing in male academy football players at different age phases. The results showed that older players (U17-23) had more genetic variants associated with later maturity compared to younger players (U12-16) and controls. The study suggests the existence of a maturity selection bias in male academy football.
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Juan Li
Summary: This study explores the impact of coach-athlete relationships on team effectiveness in youth football teams, finding that coach-athlete relationships significantly predict coach moral leadership, which in turn influences athletes' trust in coaches. However, there is no direct positive correlation between coach-athlete relationships and team effectiveness. The moral leadership of coaches and athletes' trust in coaches play a chain mediation effect in the impact of coach-athlete relationships on team effectiveness.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Dilson B. Ribeiro Junior, Francisco Z. Werneck, Helder Z. Oliveira, Patricia S. Panza, Sergio J. Ibanez, Jeferson M. Vianna
Summary: This study explores the factors influencing the career progression of youth Brazilian elite basketball players, finding that taller and younger players who were not selected early into national teams, did not specialize by playing position, participated in U22 national championships, migrated to the southeast region, and remained in the formation process over time have a greater chance of reaching NBB. The research also shows that early-maturing athletes have a higher chance of achieving better performances, while the relative age effect mainly influences lower-level categories, with minimal impact on the career progression of NBB players.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Sport Sciences
Kyle J. M. Bennett, Andrew R. Novak, Job Fransen, Rob Duffield
Summary: This study examined the association between talent pool size and relative age effects in Football Australia's talent pathway, as well as comparing the relative age effects between male and female players. The participants were 54,207 youth football players. The findings showed that talent pool size was positively associated with selecting players born in the first half of the year, and relative age effects were more prominent in males.
JOURNAL OF SPORTS SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Jorge Arede, Irene Oliveira, Miguel-Angel Angel Gomez, Nuno Leite
Summary: This study aimed to examine the influence of somatic maturation on anthropometric, physical, and game-related variables in youth basketball players under-13 and under-15 age groups. Through cluster analysis, differences in maturation status within each age group were identified, with higher correlations between physical tests and game-related variables in all age categories except for U-15 girls. Understanding performance profiles based on biological age is crucial for coaches to provide tailored training for individual needs.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Sport Sciences
Joachim D'Hondt, Laurent Chapelle, Linde Van Droogenbroeck, Dirk Aerenhouts, Peter Clarys, Eva D'Hondt
Summary: This study found significant asymmetry in PhA in the upper limbs of youth elite tennis players, while asymmetry in the lower limbs was less pronounced. BIVA analysis revealed asymmetry in PhA in the upper limbs of tennis players. Additional segmental outcomes showed asymmetry in body composition in both upper and lower limbs of tennis players.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SPORT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Physiology
Eline Coppens, Felien Laureys, Mireille Mostaert, Eva D'Hondt, Frederik J. A. Deconinck, Matthieu Lenoir
Summary: The study validated the KTK3+ test battery and provided contemporary normative values for motor competence in boys and girls aged 6 to 19. Boys outperformed girls on two out of the four tests, while girls performed better on the balancing backwards test. Performance scores increased with age, with a plateau effect noted around age 12. Adolescents participating in sports generally had better performance on the KTK3+ test battery.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Experimental
Eva D'Hondt, Lise Buelens, Lisa M. Barnett, Kristy Howells, Arja Saakslahti, Aldo M. Costa, Boris Jidovtseff, Lisa Mertens, Kristine De Martelaer
Summary: This study examined the differences between young children's actual, self-perceived, and parent-perceived aquatic skills, finding that parents tended to underestimate their children's aquatic skill levels, especially compared to the actual test results. Disagreements between parents and children's self-perceptions were more pronounced in younger children, while older children showed more consistency in their perceptions.
PERCEPTUAL AND MOTOR SKILLS
(2021)
Article
Orthopedics
Nikki Rommers, Roland Roessler, Bruno Tassignon, Jo Verschueren, Roel De Ridder, Nicky van Melick, Lieselot Longe, Tim Hendrikx, Peter Vaes, David Beckwee, Christophe Eechaute
Summary: Most amateur football teams do not implement neuromuscular training (NMT), mainly due to a lack of belief in its effectiveness, lack of knowledge, belief that stretching is sufficient, and not feeling the need for it.
KNEE SURGERY SPORTS TRAUMATOLOGY ARTHROSCOPY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Laurent Chapelle, Chris Bishop, Peter Clarys, Eva D'Hondt
Summary: The study examined the relationship between lean mass and functional asymmetry in high-level female tennis players, finding significant asymmetries in both upper and lower extremities, but no apparent relationship between lean mass and functional asymmetry magnitudes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lisa Mertens, Kristine De Martelaer, Arja Saeaekslahti, Eva D'Hondt
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the reliability of the Actual Aquatic Skills Test (AAST) in assessing young children's motor competence in water. Results showed moderate to perfect agreement between raters and good to perfect agreement between test and re-test scoring. The study concluded that AAST is a promising and reliable tool for assessing young children's actual aquatic skills.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Sport Sciences
Laurent Chapelle, Chris Bishop, Peter Clarys, Eva D'Hondt
Summary: This study examined whole-body functional asymmetry in international and national female tennis players and found significant asymmetry in both groups. National players had higher functional asymmetry in the single leg forward hop test. Individual asymmetry monitoring is needed for lower extremity dominance across different tests.
JOURNAL OF SPORTS MEDICINE AND PHYSICAL FITNESS
(2022)
Article
Sport Sciences
Laurent Chapelle, Chris Bishop, Joachim D'Hondt, Eva D'Hondt, Peter Clarys
Summary: This study examined the asymmetry in upper and lower limb morphological and functional measures in youth tennis players and controls. The study found significant differences in asymmetry magnitudes between dominant and non-dominant limbs. However, no significant relationship was found between lean mass and functional asymmetry. The consistency in asymmetry direction was higher in the upper limb compared to the lower limb.
JOURNAL OF SPORTS SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism
Laurent Chapelle, Johan Pion, Peter Clarys, Nikki Rommers, Eva D'Hondt
Summary: This study examined the influence of anthropometric and physical performance determinants on the likelihood for young tennis players to progress through a talent identification and development programme. The results showed that both anthropometric and physical performance factors significantly influenced the chances of being selected, especially in the early age categories.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPORTS SCIENCE & COACHING
(2023)
Article
Pediatrics
Liliane De Sousa Morgado, Kristine De Martelaer, Arja Saakslahti, Kristy Howells, Lisa M. Barnett, Eva D'Hondt, Aldo M. Costa, Boris Jidovtseff
Summary: An international group of experts have developed a pictorial tool called the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Water Competence (PSPWC) to measure perceived water competence for children aged 5 to 8 years old. This study aimed to verify the validity of the tool by conducting interviews with children to investigate face validity and inviting international experts to assess content validity. The results showed that children were able to understand and sequence the aquatic situations correctly in 92% of the cases, and the average Content Validity Index (CVI) ranged from 0.88 to 0.95, indicating acceptable content validity. The feedback from experts and children led to improvements in the tool, making it suitable for different countries and cultures. The PSPWC has the potential to contribute to drowning prevention and children's aquatic education.
Article
Pediatrics
Laurent Chapelle, Eva D'Hondt, Nikki Rommers, Peter Clarys
Summary: This 2-year longitudinal study investigated the development of upper-extremity bone mineral density (BMD), bone mineral content (BMC), and lean mass (LM) asymmetry magnitudes in male and female youth tennis players. The results showed that an increase in maturity offset was associated with a significant increase in BMD and BMC asymmetry magnitudes. Male players displayed higher LM asymmetry magnitudes compared to female players. Training volume did not have a significant effect on asymmetry magnitude development.
PEDIATRIC EXERCISE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Marie Vermote, Tom Deliens, Benedicte Deforche, Eva D'Hondt
Summary: This explorative qualitative study aimed to identify the determinants of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) levels among Flemish caregiving grandparents in the presence of their grandchild(ren) aged between 0-5 years. The study found that levels of PA and SB in caregiving grandparents were influenced by personal, interpersonal, and environmental determinants, with factors like the grandchild's age, cognitive development, and family interaction playing a significant role in shaping the grandparents' behaviors.
EUROPEAN REVIEW OF AGING AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Joachim D'Hondt, Jana Waterplas, Laurent Chapelle, Peter Clarys, Eva D'Hondt
Summary: This study compared the sex-specific outcomes of estimating segmental and whole-body composition using BIA and DXA methods. The results showed that BIA measured lower whole-body fat percentage and fat mass, as well as higher lean mass, compared to DXA. However, in men, BIA measured higher whole-body bone mineral content. There were no significant differences between BIA and DXA in arm fat mass for both sexes, but BIA measured significantly lower leg fat mass. Additionally, BIA measured significantly higher arm and leg lean mass. The study found strong positive associations between BIA and DXA outcome measures, except for arm and leg fat mass in men.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Sport Sciences
Laurent Chapelle, Nikki Rommers, Peter Clarys, Eva D'Hondt
Summary: This study found significant side-to-side differences in both upper and lower extremities in high-level female tennis players, including discrepancies in limb circumference and bone density.
JOURNAL OF SPORTS SCIENCES
(2021)