Predictors of selection into an elite level youth football academy: A longitudinal study

Identification of "sleeping" talent using psychological characteristics in junior elite ice-hockey players

Scouts search for "sleepers" who may be initially overlooked but ultimately exceed expectations. The psychological characteristics of those players are often neglected because they are difficult to observe, but hold promise to identify sleepers given for example the self-regulation and perceptual-cognitive skills that those developing players might need to flourish. The aim of this study was to examine whether sleepers could be retrospectively identified using psychological characteristics. Ninety-five junior elite ice-hockey players (aged 15-16) were assessed on self-regulation and perceptual-cognitive skills before the yearly draft. Seventy players were drafted after the second round (37^th or later). Three years later, professional scouts identified 15/70 sleepers they would now pick if given the chance. Those identified by the scouts showed higher self-regulation planning, and had distinguishable gaze behaviour (fewer fixations on more AOIs) when performing a video-based decision-making task than other late-drafted players (84.3% correct classification; R² = .40). In addition, two latent profiles differentiated by self-regulation were found, with the profile with higher scores including 14/15 players selected by the scouts. Psychological characteristics were successful in retrospectively predicting sleepers, and may in future help scouts to make better selections of talent.

Talent Identification and Development in Male Futsal: A Systematic Review

This review aimed to identify and synthesize the most significant literature addressing talent identification and development in futsal. A systematic review of Web of Science™ (all databases), Scopus, PubMed and SPORTDiscus databases was performed according to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines. This study included original articles in English, Spanish or Portuguese containing relevant data on talent development/identification of male futsal players. The search yielded 238 articles. After screening, a total of 32 manuscripts were fully reviewed. The quality of the data reviewed was generally good. Results indicate that the most successful players exhibit technical, tactical, anthropometric, physiological and psychological advantages and are distinguished from lower-level players based on their earlier dedication to training. This review highlights the need for those involved in the process of identifying and developing talented futsal players to consider the technical and tactical skills of futsal players, along with their anthropometric and physiological characteristics, scaled to age. Finally, special attention should be paid to the supportive psychosocial environments created in sports academies for developing futsal players. Overall, talent identification and development programmes in futsal need to be dynamic and offer the possibility of changing assessment parameters in the long term.

Methodological Approaches to Talent Identification in Team Sports: A Narrative Review

Talent identification (TID) and talent development (TD) continue to receive significant investment from team sports organisations, highlighting their importance in attempting to identify potential elite athletes. Accompanying this continual pursuit to unearth future talent is an ever-increasing body of research aiming to provide solutions and strategies to optimise TID and TD processes. Therefore, the aim of this review is to provide a summary and critical synthesis of the methodological approaches applied to TID in team sports and present considerations for future TID research. Specifically, this review highlights three key areas for consideration: (1) the timespan of the research design; (2) the use of monodisciplinary or multidisciplinary variables; and (3) the fidelity of the methodological approaches to the assessment of talent. The review highlights the benefits of longitudinal, multidisciplinary, and ecologically valid research designs for TID within team sports.

The Association between Multidirectional Speed Performance, Dynamic Balance and Chronological Age in Young Soccer Players

The ability to maintain a stable single-leg balance stance during a fast change of direction movement is a fundamental aspect both for improving sport-specific skills and for prevention strategies. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the associations between multidirectional speed performance (MDS), dynamic balance performance (DBP), and chronological age in young and uninjured soccer players. In addition, it was examined whether chronological age and balance can predict variance in speed performance. One-hundred forty-six young male soccer players (age range 11-19) performed the y-balance test (YBT) and the lower extremity functional test (LEFT). Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analysis were executed. The analyses were carried out on the further variables: for the DBP, the YBT composite score % (CS dominant leg/CS non-dominant leg) and limb symmetry index % (LSI) were used; for the MDS, the LEFT time in seconds (s) was used. Findings revealed LEFT scores to have a significant association with chronological age (p = 0.000), CS dominant (p = 0.019) and LSI (p = 0.044) of the YBT. In addition, CS dominant and chronological age explained the variance of the LEFT by 44%, regardless of LSI. To conclude, MDS revealed a strong association with DBP of the dominant side but a small association with LSI. In addition, a small association was found between quick LEFT times and older players. Finally, MDS variance can be predicted from DBP of the dominant side and chronological age in young soccer players. The tests used in this study could be useful screening tools for the detection of performance deficits, the implementation of prevention training programs, and the optimization of selection strategies in soccer academies.

Age-Related Differences in the Anthropometric and Physical Fitness Characteristics of Young Soccer Players: A Cross-Sectional Study

Considering that most professional academies seek to optimize the early detection and physical development of their younger players, the purpose of this study was to examine the anthropometric and physical fitness characteristics in a large cross-sectional sample of youth soccer players in Eastern Europe, starting from a very young age during their in-season period. Three hundred and thirteen soccer players (n = 313), grouped into eight age categories, participated in the study. On the basis of chronological age, the group categories were: 7 (n = 26), 8 (n = 41), 9 (n = 46), 10 (n = 48), 11 (n = 42), 12 (n = 47), 13 (n = 43), and 14 years old (n = 20). The players underwent an anthropometric evaluation, flexibility, handgrip strength, vertical jump performance, speed, and agility assessments. A one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) indicated significant differences in the anthropometric and physical fitness variables based on chronological age (F = 13.40, p < 0.05, Wilk’s Λ = 0.08, partial η2 = 0.30). Concurrently, there were significant growth and physical fitness differences even in players born in the same chronological year. It is believed that the results have important practical implications, especially for those involved in youth soccer. Based on our results, coaches should contemplate speed and agility development in training sessions starting from a much younger age, as sprinting while changing directions has been considered an essential prerequisite in soccer.