Talent Identification in Youth Soccer: Is the Motor Educability an Important Predictor for Player Selection?

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216208%3A11510%2F25%3A10499212" target="_blank" >RIV/00216208:11510/25:10499212 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://doi.org/10.14195/978-989-26-2607-9" target="_blank" >https://doi.org/10.14195/978-989-26-2607-9</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.14195/978-989-26-2607-9" target="_blank" >10.14195/978-989-26-2607-9</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Talent Identification in Youth Soccer: Is the Motor Educability an Important Predictor for Player Selection?

Original language description

This study aimed to identify performance parameters that distinguish between a group of young soccer players that were selected (SP) and non-selected (NP) to a higher age category. It included 55 young players (age = 5.99 +- 0.28 years) from an elite Czech soccer academy. The following tests were used to assess performance variables: Iowa Brace test; 5 m acceleration; 10 m acceleration; 5 m flying; broad jump; 4x10 m shuttle run; 4x10 m shuttle run with ball; dribbling soccer skill test. In all measured parameters, there was a significant difference (p &lt; 0.05) with large effect sizes (d &gt; 0.08) between SP and NP. Using binomial logistic regression, the main predictors that corresponded with selection into the higher age category were Iowa Brace test (Odds ratio: 2.35) and 4x10 m shuttle run (Odds ratio: 0.05) (p &lt; 0.05). The regression model with two predictors successfully classified 89.1% of the players (SP vs NP). In addition, we found significant correlations among all parameters (p &lt; 0.05). In particular, the reported large effect sizes between SP and NP indicate strong performance differences among soccer players at extremely young ages. Our study appears to have identified two major predictors that could play an important role in selecting talented youth. We recommend that trainers and researchers increase their attention and use in these tests, especially motor educability, which seems to be essential for these categories.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

C - Chapter in a specialist book

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

50301 - Education, general; including training, pedagogy, didactics [and education systems]

Project

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Continuities

S - Specificky vyzkum na vysokych skolach

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Book/collection name

Science and Soccer: A Key Combination

ISBN

978-989-26-2607-9

Number of pages of the result

18

Pages from-to

89-106

Number of pages of the book

354

Publisher name

Coimbra University Press

Place of publication

Coimbra

UT code for WoS chapter

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