Talent Identification Process Research Articles

Principal Component Approach and Relationship between Nomination Scale for Identification of Football Talent and Physical Fitness in Young Soccer Players

The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between the physical capabilities of young soccer players and their performance in game-related variables as assessed through the Nomination Scale for Identifying Football Talent (NSIFT) questionnaire. A total of 80 young soccer players, with an average age of 10.70 ± 1.02 years, participated in the research. Each player underwent a comprehensive assessment session that included the 5-0-5 Change of Direction (COD) test, the Illinois Agility Test, and the Countermovement Jump (CMJ) test. These assessments were selected to evaluate critical physical attributes essential for soccer performance such as agility, explosive strength, and the ability to change direction rapidly. To analyze the data, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), a statistical technique that reduces the dimensionality of large datasets while retaining as much variance as possible, was employed. The PCA results indicated strong sample validity as confirmed by the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) measurement index, which assesses the adequacy of the sample size for factor analysis. The analysis revealed two principal components: development and disposition, which together accounted for 73% of the total variance in the data. The development component encompasses various physical attributes that contribute to a player’s growth and improvement, including strength, speed, and agility. Conversely, the disposition component reflects innate qualities and cognitive skills that predispose players to excel in soccer such as decision making and game awareness. This research highlights the importance of incorporating physical assessments into talent identification processes, providing objective measures that complement subjective evaluations. This study contributed to the literature on talent identification in soccer, emphasizing the need for a multidisciplinary approach to nurture young athletes effectively. Future research should continue to explore the interplay between physical and cognitive skills in soccer to enhance player development and success in competitive environments.

Relative age effect at men’s volleyball world championships over time

Introduction: Relative age effect (RAE) in sport is extensively described in the literature. However, there is scarcity of data on how to avoid problems in the talent identification process and, consequently, how to avoid dropping out or losing a potential volleyball talent. The aim of the study was to carry out a retrospective analysis of RAE at Men’s U-19 and U-21 World Championships as well as Men’s World Championships over the last 12 years and to investigate possible differences in quarterly age distribution depending on anthropometric features, geographical regions the teams under study came from as well as their performance (results) at the championships. Material and Methods: The analysis was based on volleyball players (n = 3,887) participating in Men’s U-19 and U-21 World Championships as well as Men’s World Championships over the last 12 years (2010–2022). Results: It was noted that RAE differed depending on age category, body height, geographical region of origin as well as the place taken during the championships. Conclusions: The findings indicate that there is a need to better understand RAE in order to avoid losing young volleyball players, which could contribute to the development of volleyball in the world.

Evaluation of Mental Skills and Temperament of Skilled Petanque Athletes of Iran

Researchers currently use mental characteristics and temperament for talent identification in various sports fields. Therefore, the current research aimed to evaluate the mental skills and temperament of Iranian skilled petanque athletes. The study population included all petanque (male and female) athletes participating in the national championship in 2022. Based on convenience sampling, 99 people completed the Ottawa mental skills assessment tool (OMSAT-3*), and 68 people completed Mujahidin’s ten-item Mizaj (temperament) questionnaire (MMQ). The results showed that cognitive skills are more critical than psychosomatic and basic skills in skilled (male and female) petanque athletes. Most male athletes have a moderate temperament. Therefore, coaches and specialists can consider evaluating petanque athletes’ mental skills and temperament as part of the talent identification process in this sports field.

Two's company, platforms make a crowd: Talent identification in tripartite work arrangements in the gig economy

The gig economy provides a novel setting that challenges many established ways of working. This paper unpacks the nature of talent identification in the gig economy through the role of three central actors; the online labor platform firm, the requester/customer and the gig worker. Talent identification in this context is especially novel as it emerges from tripartite relationships among independent economic actors, in contrast to traditional settings where talent identification is studied from a dyadic perspective (i.e., talented workers and the organization). We decipher the heterogeneity across online labor platforms and their gig workforces through the practice of talent identification. We provide an agenda to guide future research on the inclusive versus exclusive nature of talent identification in the gig economy as well as on online labor platforms as independent, yet powerful players who identify talents themselves alongside shaping talent identification processes between workers and hiring organizations. Accordingly, this paper extends the parameters of talent identification scholarship along with providing a different lens by which we examine work in the gig context.

Talent development in female soccer: Developmental activities of professional players in England

ABSTRACT The activities soccer players engage in during their formative years are thought to significantly contribute to the acquisition of expert performance. Whilst this area has seen great interest in male players, there has been little research in females. The study examined developmental activities engaged in by professional female soccer players in England. 56 female soccer players that had either progressed to professional status in adulthood (professional), or did not (ex-academy), completed the Participant History Questionnaire. Professional players started engaging in soccer at an earlier age than their ex-academy counterparts, resulting in greater engagement in practice and play during childhood. During adolescence, professional players engaged in higher amounts of practice than ex-academy players. Engagement in competition and practice was rated as high in physical and cognitive effort by all, yet ex-academy players reported higher levels of physical effort during early adolescence, and cognitive effort during late adolescence. Findings provide an illustration of the talent pathways of professional female soccer players in England and may inform future talent development systems. Large interindividual variation in soccer-specific and other-sport activity data highlight the importance of further understanding the environments of individual soccer nations and their potential impact on the talent identification and development processes.

The developmental activities of women’s professional pathway cricketers

ABSTRACT The growth of investment in women’s cricket has led to the development of new professional pathways. However, there is lack of specific evidence to support the development of these athletes. This study aimed to take a first step in understanding the participation histories of female cricketers selected into English women’s professional academies. 84 players completed the Participation History Questionnaire (PHQ) to capture details of activities engaged in across development, including milestones, cricket activity, and engagement in other sport activities. There were relative age effects where players' birthdate distributions differed from national norms (X 2 = 8.451, p = .003, V = 0.227), and more players than expected attended independent schools (X 2 = 7.980, p = .005, V = 0.232). Participants engaged in cricket informally before coach led training, have siblings (particularly brothers) interested in cricket and often played boy’s cricket before engaging in the girl’s or women’s game. Developmental activities were characterised by early engagement, high levels of diversification, and very low levels of play compared to high levels of formal practice and match play. These findings have implications for the advancement of talent identification and development policies and processes in women’s cricket.

Unique Specific Jumping Test for Measuring Explosive Power in Young Basketball Players: Differences by Gender, Age, and Playing Positions.

When playing basketball, players are required to have high explosive power, which requires the ability to move in efficient, specific, and game-specific movement patterns that combine both horizontal and vertical abilities. Differences have been seen between young male and female basketball players in this measure. The aim of this study was to examine differences in players' unique movements by gender, age, and playing positions using a novel test for basketball players. This study included 232 young basketball players, male and female, from a range of Israeli leagues, who were divided into three categories: under-14, under-16, and under-18. Our findings showed that males presented better results than females in all age categories. Moreover, females in the under-18 category presented better results than those in the under-14 category, but not more than those in the under-16 category. Differences in playing positions were only examined between males and females in the under-18 category, where players begin to specialize in playing positions, and here, guards showed better results than forwards and centers. Our conclusions highlight the importance of including unique, sport-specific tests in talent identification and selection processes, as these tests can provide valuable information about a player's skill set and potential for success. The findings are presented in an achievement table of the expected physical fitness results by age and gender for the benefit of basketball coaches and strength and conditioning coaches when assessing their players.

A new method to identify key match-play behaviours of young soccer players: Development of the Hull Soccer Behavioural Scoring Tool.

The aim of this research was to assess the validity and reliability of a newly developed scoring tool, designed for monitoring youth soccer players during match-play performance to support coaches/scouts with the talent identification process. The method used to design the Hull Soccer Behavioural Scoring Tool comprised of a five-stage process of (i) conducting an initial literature review to establish content validity (ii) gaining content validity through a cross sectional online survey (iii) establishing face validity via expert coach feedback (iv) conducting inter-rater reliability tests and (v) intra-rater reliability tests. In stage two, twenty-two soccer academy practitioners completed an online survey, which revealed that player behaviours such as resilience, competitiveness, and decision making were all valued as the most important behavioural characteristics by practitioners (90.9%), whilst X-factor was valued as least important by a significant amount (27.2%). Stages three to five of the testing procedure included a sample of four academy coaches not involved in the preceding stage. Twenty male collegiate soccer players (under-16 to under-18) involved in the study took part in four versus four small-sided games (SSG) in a 'round-robin' tournament across three weeks which accumulated 14 SSG's, 100-140 minutes of playing time and 70-98 individual player grades. Two of the four academy coaches watched the SSG's and used the Hull Soccer Behavioural Scoring Tool to assess live evidence of desirable player behaviours, which was subsequently followed by retrospective video analysis for intra-rater reliability testing. The remaining two academy coaches watched the same SSG retrospective video footage to test for inter-rater reliability. Reliability results revealed an acceptable level of agreement with scores between 81.25%-89.9% for inter-rater whilst intra-rater provided scores between 80.35%-99.4%. Preliminary evidence here suggests that the Hull Soccer Behavioural Scoring Tool is both a valid and reliable method to assess desirable player behaviours during talent identification processes. Thus, youth soccer practitioners and researchers should seek to test and further validate the tool in order to confirm its utility as a means of measuring behavioural characteristics of youth soccer players.

Impact of Morphological Variables on Throwing Ability: A Gender-Driven Exploration Among Athletes in Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana

This study represents a comprehensive exploration of the intricate interplay between morphological variables and throwing ability, specifically examining gender-specific variations among athletes in Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana. In the pursuit of an understanding, data were collected from a diverse sample of 420 athletes, comprising 210 males and 210 females, aged between 16 and 22. The investigation illuminated that athletes within the Cape Coast Metropolis possess not only well-developed body dimensions but also an adequate level of fitness, both integral to overall athletic performance. This insight was substantiated by the statistical analysis, which demonstrated that morphological features accounted for a substantial 64% to 73% of the variance in throwing ability. The study employed predictive equations tailored for male and female athletes, further illustrating the influential role of specific morphological characteristics. For male athletes, the equation TB = -12.53 + .577handspan + .053Body weight + .109Total Arm Length - .055thigh girth + .053Chest Circumference Expiration - .094Tricep Skin Fold encapsulates the predictive model. On the other, the equation TG = -8.11 + .597Handspan + .068Upper Arm Length + .013Body Weight + .021Thigh Girth encapsulates the model for female athletes. These equations provide practical tools for forecasting throwing proficiency within the local athletic community in Cape Coast Metropolis. This research contributes significantly to the field, emphasizing the pivotal role of morphological variables in shaping athletic performance. The findings underscore the importance of training programs and talent identification processes based on an individual's morphological characteristics, with the potential to enhance overall athletic development in the Cape Coast Metropolis region.

Talent identification: line managers’ perceptions of their own requirements as talent spotters

Identification is a key step in the organizational talent management process. Even though evaluating potential through an objective approach, integrating multiple methods, is recommended, many organizations rely upon line manager nominations as their main sources of identification. Given their central role, this study analyses the line managers’ attributes required to carry out an effective talent identification process. This qualitative study was drawn upon social cognition (social psychology framework) and talent identification literature with a sample of 20 managers, belonging to a multinational of Argentine origin, who described their experiences and requirements as talent spotters through semi-structured interviews. Results suggest that observation skills, listening and communication skills, cognitive skills, intuition, empathy, identification as part of the managerial role, low aversion to risk, vocation, predisposition to learn, resilience, and commitment are important attributes in the identification process. The present study provides a map of the talent spotter´s attributes that are necessary to assess employees´ potential.

Relative Age Effect in Individual Sports. A Systematic Review

Relative Age Effect (RAE) refers to the influence that month birth could have over the performance of people born in the same year. Most RAE studies indicate that individuals born in the first quartiles of a given year may present biological, physical, cognitive, psychological advantages over those who were born in the last months of the same year. Such variations could affect performance, leading to overestimation of observed results at the evaluation time. Although RAE had become a well-studied phenomenon, few is known about the prevailing studies methodological characteristics, as well as the breakthroughs over the theme, particularly, in individual sports. Thus, this systematic review investigated the state of art of RAE in individual sports. Results reveal RAE was found among athletes of individual sports; most studies described RAE in individual sports, nevertheless, few established relations between RAE and other variables (i.e. anthropometry, technical performance.) besides the quarter of birth. Findings indicate most RAE studies in individual sports focus their methodologies and results on describing athletes’ percentage born in each quartile of the year. Therefore, the theme requires a new approach, focused on the relation of RAE with sports talent identification and athlete development processes in individual sports.

Relative age effect across the talent identification process of youth female soccer players in the United States: Influence of birth year, position, biological maturation, and skill level.

The aims of the study were to examine the relative age effect (RAE) in youth female soccer players in the United States (US) and the influence of birth year, playing position, estimated maturation and skill ratings. The sample consisted of 3,364 youth female soccer players who were active in the 2021-2022 US soccer season across three main stages of the talent identification (TID) process for Youth National Team (YNT) players (i.e., Club, TID Center, and YNT). A prevalent RAE for players born in Q1 was present in the full sample. A significant prevalence for Q1 players were identified for both Club and TID Center, but not YNT. A significant RAE prevalence for Q1 players was identified for most of the age groups from U13-U18 at Club (except U18) and TID Center (except U17). Significant RAEs prevalence for players born in Q1 were found in Goalkeepers, Center Backs, Midfielders, and Center Forwards at Club and TID Center (except Wide Forwards). The data identified a consistent RAE prevalence for Q1 players in early and on-time-maturers across all levels. An even birthdate spread was evident in YNT with a prevalence for Q4 players and a higher percentage of late-maturers than elsewhere in the TID process. Results reinforce evidence indicating RAEs still exist in soccer, yet show for the first time within a youth female soccer TID process, the influence of contextual factors on the prevalence of RAE. This information can be used to advance TID and development across the US soccer landscape.

Talent identification and development in an English Premiership rugby union club: the perspectives of players and coaches.

The pathway towards senior professional status in sport is affected by a multitude of factors. An abductive examination of the talent identification and development processes at an English Premiership rugby union (RU) club was undertaken for the present study. Part one examined the perspectives on the selection and development processes of senior academy male players (n = 8), whereas part two explored the perceptions of male coaches (n = 7). A total of three focus groups were used. Three main themes were confirmed by players and coaches: (a) task constraints, (b) performer constraints, and (c) environmental constraints. Specifically, although athletes and coaches believed that performer constraints were highly impactful on players' career in RU, there were inconsistencies surrounding the task and environmental constraints. Despite an indication that three common themes impacted an players path, this preliminary study shows an imbalance in the understanding of some of the key factors perceived to be important for talent progression in the present rugby academy. More research using similar qualitative methods is recommended to better understand the differences in opinions between players and coaches. Meanwhile, practitioners should consider implementing objective and holistic strategies to improve the talent pathway in English RU academies.

How do young athletes experience selection and nonselection? An ethnographic study of talent categorization and identification processes.

How do young athletes experience selection and nonselection? An ethnographic study of talent categorization and identification processes.

Tensiomyography: from muscle assessment to talent identification tool.

Introduction: Tensiomyography (TMG) is a non-invasive and cost-effective tool that is gaining popularity in fields such as sports science, physical therapy, and medicine. In this narrative review, we examine the different applications of TMG and its strengths and limitations, including its use as a tool for sport talent identification and development. Methods: In the course of crafting this narrative review, an exhaustive literature search was carried out. Our exploration spanned several renowned scientific databases, such as PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and ResearchGate. The materials we sourced for our review included a broad spectrum of both experimental and non-experimental articles, all focusing on TMG. The experimental articles featured varied research designs including randomized controlled trials, quasi-experiments, as well as pre-post studies. As for the non-experimental articles, they encompassed a mix of case-control, cross-sectional, and cohort studies. Importantly, all articles included in our review were written in English and had been published in peer-reviewed journals. The assortment of studies considered provided a holistic view of the existing body of knowledge on TMG, and formed the basis of our comprehensive narrative review. Results: A total of 34 studies were included in the review, organized into three sections: 1) assessing muscle contractile properties of young athletes, 2) using TMG in the talent identification and development process and 3) Future research and perspectives. According to data presented here, the most consistent TMG parameters for determining muscle contractile properties are radial muscle belly displacement, contraction time, and delay time. Biopsy findings from the vastus lateralis (VL) confirmed TMG as a valid tool for estimating the ratio of myosin heavy chain (%MHC-I). Conclusion: TMGs ability to estimate the ratio of %MHC-I has the potential to aid in the selection of athletes with the muscle characteristics best suited for a particular sport, eliminating the need for more invasive procedures. However, more research is warranted to fully understand TMG's potential and its reliability when used with young athletes. Importantly, the use of TMG technology in this process can positively impact health status, reducing the frequency and severity of injuries and the duration of recovery, and subsequently can reduce drop out rates among youth athletes. Future studies should look at twin youth athletes, as a model capable of discriminating between the influence of hereditary factors vs. environmental factors, in therms of muscle contractility and TMG's potential for instance.

Analisi dell'ereditabilità delle proprietà contrattili: osservazioni su gemelli monozigoti campioni nazionali di atletica giovanile

Heritability estimates for various traits were previously obtained in large-scale twin studies as well as in genomic analyses, which have been used more frequently recently. The potential for heritability in studies of twin athletes has never been observed for tensiomyography (TMG)-derived contractile properties. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to investigate the hereditary capabilities (HC) of lower-limb contractile properties using a twin case study design performed on a pair of monozygotic (MZ) track and field youth champions from Croatia. The results showed high HC values for contraction time, time delay, and contraction velocity, which measure the absolute (Tc, Td) and relative (Vc) velocity of the lower limb muscles. Very high HC values of the listed contractile properties indicate a strong influence of heritability on selected, mainly velocity-related properties, whereas Td-variable related to the peripheral nervous system is the most affected. Second, the muscle morphology of vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and rectus femoris also appears to be subject to a strong heritable influence. In conclusion, the HC estimates presented, together with the heritability coefficients, can be used as guidelines for talent identification processes, especially when combined with TMG, a suitable non-invasive alternative for estimating lower-limb contractile properties in adolescent athletes.

Talent Identification in Youth Basketball: Talent Scouts’ Perceptions of the Key Attributes for Athlete Development

The objective of this study is to understand the attributes youth coaches and talent scouts perceive as important when identifying skilled youth basketball players. Youth coaches and talent scouts (n = 40) from Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and United States with an average of 14.09 (±9.77) years of experience completed an online questionnaire. The questionnaire asked participants to rank and justify attributes for identifying potentially talented youth basketball players according to their perceived importance. In addition, five youth coaches and talent scouts completed a semistructured interview that elaborated on how they identify these attributes in national-level youth players. Results from the questionnaire indicate a hierarchy of attributes coaches/scouts perceive as important for youth basketball performance, including tactical (i.e., decision-making ability), technical (i.e., layup, shooting in the paint, jump shot, rebounding), and psychological attributes (i.e., composure, concentration, adaptability). In addition, the results from the interviews provided more detailed justification for the importance of these attributes within the talent identification process. It is believed talent scouts apply a holistic multidisciplinary approach to talent identification, with the current findings potentially providing evidence to suggest coaches/scouts consider a wide range of tactical, technical, psychological, and physical attributes when identifying youth players.

Disagreement between talent scouts: Implications for improved talent assessment in youth football.

Reliable talent identification and selection (TID) processes are prerequisites to accurately select young athletes with the most potential for talent development programmes. Knowledge about the agreement between scouts who play a key role in the initial TID in football is lacking. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the agreement within four groups of a total of n = 83 talent scouts during rank assessment of under-11 male youth football players (n = 24, age = 11.0 ± 0.3 years) and to describe scouts' underlying approach to assess talent. Krippendorff's α estimates indicated disagreement of scouts' rankings within all groups of scouts (αA = 0.09, αB = 0.03, αC = 0.05, αD = 0.02). Scouts reported relying mainly on their overall impression when forming their final prediction about a player. Reportings of a consistent, structured approach were less prevalent. Taken together, results indicated that different approaches to TID may be associated with disagreement on selection decisions. In order to overcome disagreement in TID, football organisations are encouraged to establish a more structured process. Future research on the elaboration and benefit of ranking guidelines incorporating decomposed and independently evaluated sub-predictors is recommended to improve the reliability of TID.

The Relative Age Effect in Ice Hockey: Analysis of Its Presence, Its Fading and of a Reversal Effect among Junior and Professional Leagues.

This study analyzes the relative age effect (RAE) among the world's best junior hockey leagues and in the NHL. Despite the prevalence of RAE in ice hockey, past research suggests its fading-reversal over time, which may occur at later stages of athletic development. The hypothesis of the RAE reversal was tested with two sources of raw data files from the 2021-2022 season: 15 of the best international junior and minor professional leagues (N = 7 399) and the NHL (N = 812). Birth quartile distributions were analyzed to verify the prevalence of RAE and quantile regression was used to test the reversal of RAE hypotheses. Advanced hockey metrics were aggregated from multiple data sources and used to compare early born with late born players using birth quartiles. Prevalence of the RAE was verified with crosstabs analyses and quantile regression was used to test the reversal effect. Results indicated that the RAE still prevailed in ice hockey, with higher magnitude in Canadian leagues. Regression analyses showed that late-born junior and minor pro players, despite getting less exposure in terms of games played, attained levels of offensive production similar to those of early born players. Late-born players able to emerge in the NHL performed similarly and sometimes displayed better performance (in some markers). Results suggest that stakeholders should find ways to pay special attention to late born players in talent identification processes and offer them opportunities to develop at the highest levels.

Countermovement Jump Performance and Team Membership of Youth Female and Male Ice Hockey Players

This study compared the CMJ performance of two teams of young male ice hockey players and two teams of female ice hockey players of different levels of competition and examined whether a specific CMJ variable could predict Prep or Varsity team membership and thus be used as part of the talent identification process for ice hockey. A retrospective analysis of six CMJ variables collected via force platforms was conducted. Independent samples t-tests were used to compare the means of the six CMJ variables between the male teams and female teams and a logistic regression analysis was performed to compare team membership to Prep or Varsity teams with the specific CMJ variables. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found between Prep and Varsity male players in four CMJ variables, all in favor of the Varsity group: mRSI (p = 0.016, ES = -0.860), peak propulsive power (p = 0.022, ES = -0.811), time to take-off (p = 0.005, ES = 1.008), and braking rate of force development (p = 0.005, ES = -1.025). For the female players, only countermovement depth was significantly different (p = 0.030, ES = 0.841) between Prep and Varsity teams, in favor of the Varsity group. Following the logistic regression analysis, only countermovement depth (Wald's p-value = 0.011) could predict team membership to the Prep or Varsity group for the girls while no CMJ variables could significantly predict team membership to the Prep or Varsity teams for the boys. Results from this study suggest that other CMJ kinetic variables should be used when comparing CMJ performance between athletes rather than only using jump height. In addition, countermovement depth can be used by coaches of female ice hockey players to predict team membership.