Abstract
The present study examined if elite youth male association football (soccer) players aged 8–19 y (n = 2,875) from the English talent development system, who ultimately achieved professional status differed in stature, body mass, and physical performance (20-m sprint speed, slalom agility speed, vertical counter-movement jump with arm swing jump height, multistage fitness test distance) compared with their non-professional peers. The study also examined the longitudinal pattern of development of stature, body mass, and physical performance, and if this was different between future professionals and non-professionals, while considering the effects of playing position. Multilevel modeling of the 8,898 individual (player-occasion) data points suggested that from age 12.0, the future professionals performed better in a vertical counter-movement jump with arm swing test and slalom agility test than future non-professionals, and improved at a faster rate, so that by age 18.0 the differences in vertical counter-movement jump with arm swing and slalom agility performance were 1.7 cm (p < 0.001, d = 0.3) and 0.14 s (p < 0.001, d = 0.5), respectively. In addition, future professionals were faster (by 0.02–0.04 s on the 20-m sprint, p < 0.001, d = 0.2) and ran further in the multistage fitness test (by 47 m, p = 0.014, d = 0.2) than future non-professionals throughout their development, but there were no differences in stature or body mass during development between the groups. Whereas, multistage fitness test performance improved linearly with age, the development of all other physical characteristics was non-linear. There were inter-individual differences in the development of all characteristics, and there were differences between playing positions in the development of all characteristics. Thus, in summary, future professionals jump higher, are more agile, faster, and more endurance fit than future non-professionals as they age, and the pattern of development is different in professionals and non-professionals for vertical jumping and slalom agility performance.
Highlights
IntroductionTalent identification and development in association football (soccer) refers to the interlinked and ongoing processes of: recognizing young players with the potential to become elite senior players; and providing them with the most appropriate learning environment to realize their potential (Williams and Reilly, 2000)
Talent identification and development in association football refers to the interlinked and ongoing processes of: recognizing young players with the potential to become elite senior players; and providing them with the most appropriate learning environment to realize their potential (Williams and Reilly, 2000)
An integral part of the system is the testing of the physical characteristics of players using field-based protocols, as these allow large numbers of players to be tested in a short time and the tests are reliable and valid when conducted appropriately (Hulse et al, 2013)
Summary
Talent identification and development in association football (soccer) refers to the interlinked and ongoing processes of: recognizing young players with the potential to become elite senior players; and providing them with the most appropriate learning environment to realize their potential (Williams and Reilly, 2000). In England, elite male youth players are exposed to a talent identification and development process which is largely based on scouting and recruitment to academies affiliated with professional clubs. Academies attempt to provide players with a systematic programme of coaching and support, and make ongoing judgements of players’ potential to succeed. The nature of this academy system is governed by a recent strategic framework, The Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP), which aims to increase the number and quality of home-grown players participating in the English professional leagues (Premier League, 2011). Debate remains regarding the utility of a physical testing programme for talent identification and development processes in football (Mendez-Villanueva and Buchheit, 2013)
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