Abstract
Freshmen college soccer players will have lower training ages than their experienced teammates (sophomores, juniors, seniors). How this is reflected in field test performance is not known. Freshmen (n = 7) and experienced (n = 10) male field soccer players from the same Division I school completed soccer-specific tests to identify potential differences in incoming freshmen. Testing included: vertical jump (VJ), standing broad jump, and triple hop (TH); 30-m sprint, (0–5, 5–10, 0–10, and 0–30 m intervals); 505 change-of-direction test; Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 2 (YYIRT2); and 6 × 30-m sprints to measure repeated-sprint ability. A MANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc was conducted on the performance test data, and effect sizes and z-scores were calculated from the results for magnitude-based inference. There were no significant between-group differences in the performance tests. There were moderate effects for the differences in VJ height, left-leg TH, 0–5, 0–10 and 0–30 m sprint intervals, and YYIRT2 (d = 0.63–1.18), with experienced players being superior. According to z-score data, freshmen had meaningful differences below the squad mean in the 30-m sprint, YYIRT2, and jump tests. Freshmen soccer players may need to develop linear speed, high-intensity running, and jump performance upon entering a collegiate program.
Highlights
Participation rates in collegiate men’s soccer has increased noticeably from the 1980s and 1990s to the 2000s
The experienced group were significantly older than the freshmen, there were no differences in height or body mass
Within the context of these limitations, this study demonstrated that there are certain differences between freshmen and experienced collegiate soccer players from a Division I men’s team
Summary
Participation rates in collegiate men’s soccer has increased noticeably from the 1980s and 1990s to the 2000s. This volume of players ensures great competition amongst the schools that play collegiate soccer. In order to ensure long-term success for their team in this environment, collegiate coaches from all sports attempt to recruit the best athletes to their respective programs [2]. This will generally involve recruiting players from high school. Once a player is recruited into a soccer program, the coaching and strength and conditioning staff must physically prepare them for the rigors of the collegiate season
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