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
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
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
Ayham Jaber, Johannes Weishorn, Gregor Berrsche, Henning Ott, Yannic Bangert
Summary: This study reported the incidence of injuries in 138 male players aged between 12 and 19 years at the TSG Hoffenheim football academy in Germany, finding that most injuries occurred during matches, with lower limb injuries being the most common. Strains were the main cause of injuries, highlighting the importance of adhering more strictly to existing injury prevention programs. More dedicated epidemiological studies are necessary to optimize focused injury prevention programs.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPORTS MEDICINE
(2022)
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
Adam Kelly, Mark R. Wilson, Daniel T. Jackson, Daniel E. Goldman, Jennifer Turnnidge, Jean Cote, Craig A. Williams
Summary: The study found that technical/tactical and social characteristics are key factors that differentiate players who play-up from those who do not in the Foundation Development Phase (FDP). In the Youth Development Phase (YDP), besides technical/tactical and social factors, physical and psychological factors also play a significant role in this differentiation.
JOURNAL OF SPORTS SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Physiology
Jonathan D. Connor, Daniel Berkelmans, Kenji Doma
Summary: The purpose of this study was to examine whether various factors such as athletic performances, anthropometric measures, and playing experience differentiate selected and nonselected ultimate Frisbee players. The results showed that selected players had significantly greater height, sprint time, acceleration, and jumping ability than nonselected players. Combining multiple factors can provide more accurate differentiation between selected and nonselected players.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPORTS PHYSIOLOGY AND PERFORMANCE
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Johannes Weishorn, Ayham Jaber, Severin Zietzschmann, Jan Spielmann, Tobias Renkawitz, Yannic Bangert
Summary: This study investigated the injury patterns and incidence in a German elite youth football academy, finding that physeal injuries were a major contributor to severe injuries. The risk of re-injury was low but resulted in longer absence time.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
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
Sport Sciences
Eirik Halvorsen Wik, Lorenzo Lolli, Karim Chamari, Olivier Materne, Valter Di Salvo, Warren Gregson, Roald Bahr
Summary: The study found that older age groups had higher overall injury incidence, while the U16 age group experienced the greatest injury burden. In the older age groups, muscle injuries had higher incidence and burden, while physeal injuries had lower rates. Joint sprains and bone stress injuries were most common in the U16, U17, and U18 age groups, with U16 players experiencing the largest burden.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF SPORTS MEDICINE
(2021)
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
Sport Sciences
Michiel H. H. van Nieuwstadt, Marjolijn Das, Marije T. Elferink-Gemser
Summary: Urbanity is not found to have an independent influence on athlete talent development in Dutch football. Factors such as football participation, proportion of non-western migrants, and median income are predictive of talent yield. The influence of built environment characteristics on talent development may be less significant than previously believed.
JOURNAL OF SPORTS SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Physiology
Mark R. Noon, Emma L. J. Eyre, Matthew Ellis, Tony D. Myers, Rhys O. Morris, Peter D. Mundy, Ryan Penny, Neil D. Clarke
Summary: Recruiting players early in an academy increases the likelihood of obtaining a professional contract, while the influence of physical characteristics on retention and release is minimal. Using physical assessments alone as a talent identification tool is limited in its utility.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPORTS PHYSIOLOGY AND PERFORMANCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gennaro Boccia, Paolo Riccardo Brustio, Rocco Rinaldi, Ruggero Romagnoli, Marco Cardinale, Maria Francesca Piacentini
Summary: This study investigates the youth-to-senior transition rate in the Italian national football team and explores the impact of Relative Age Effects (RAEs) on this transition. The data includes 885 players selected in youth and senior Italian national teams from 2000 to 2021. The results show that the transition rate increases with age prospectively, but less than 10-20% of youth players are subsequently selected for the senior team retrospectively. The study also reveals skewed birth date distributions in all age groups, with the magnitude of RAEs decreasing as age increases.
Article
Sport Sciences
Xingni Cao, Russell Martindale, Heetae Cho, Chunxiao Li
Summary: The present research examined the mental health of elite youth athletes and its relationship with talent development environments (TDEs). A survey of 248 Chinese elite youth athletes found moderate levels of burnout, with a significant number meeting diagnostic criteria for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and depression. Regression analysis revealed that alignment of expectations significantly predicted GAD and depression, while holistic quality preparation predicted burnout. Cluster analysis identified three clusters, with cluster 2 having the lowest levels of GAD, depression, and burnout. These findings highlight the importance of managing mental health in elite youth athletes and considering the role of TDEs.
JOURNAL OF SPORTS SCIENCES
(2023)