Talent Identification in Youth Soccer: Prognosis of U17 Soccer Performance on the Basis of General Athleticism and Talent Promotion Interventions in Second-Grade Children

Abstract

Several talent identification programs in elementary school have implemented motor diagnostics to introduce children to groups of sports, like game sports, or even to particular sports like soccer. However, as in most other sports, in youth soccer, the predictive value of such early testing is still unclear. This prospective study evaluated the midterm prognostic validity of generic motor performance tests. The sample consisted of male second-grade children, which had received a recommendation to participate in soccer. The talent screening campaign was a basic check comprising two anthropometric parameters, five physical fitness, and three motor competence diagnostics of the German Motor Test 6–18. The test data were collected from the participating elementary school classes of the years 2010 to 2014. The soccer competition performance of those children having completed the age of at least 15 years (n = 502) up to the end of the season 2019/2020 (2020, September 30) was recorded. This group of U17 players was then assigned individually to five different competition levels. The prognostic validity of the physical and physiological tests was determined using ANOVAs, odds ratios, and a regression path analysis. All diagnostic methods exhibited medium-to-high prognostic validity over the 8 year time span from the talent screening to the later soccer competitions in the adolescent age groups. For later success in soccer on the province level, the 6-min run (OR = 4.28), dynamic balance (OR = 4.04), and 20-m sprint (OR = 2.46), as well as the participation in the training center of the German Soccer Federation (OR = 5.67) and the diversity of club sport activities (OR = 3.56), were of particular importance.

Fitness, Fatness, and Academic Attainment in Male Schoolchildren from a Soccer Academy

“…Success in team sports is dependent upon several performance characteristics which are either sport-specific or transferable, i.e., technical, tactical, physiological, and psychological performance [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]. In childhood, players require development in several performance aspects in order to prosper and reach elite status [ 6 ]. In addition, there are convincing data that soccer performance and/or development requires information processing to perform in complex and rapidly changing contexts [ 6 , 7 ], emphasizing the importance of cognitive skills in soccer performance.…”

“…In childhood, players require development in several performance aspects in order to prosper and reach elite status [ 6 ]. In addition, there are convincing data that soccer performance and/or development requires information processing to perform in complex and rapidly changing contexts [ 6 , 7 ], emphasizing the importance of cognitive skills in soccer performance.…”

Identifying of Talented Students at Elementary Schools Using Volleyball’s Talent Identification

“…Athletes who have high body height can play the volleyball's techniques such as block, smash and jump serve properly. Volleyball athletes with higher body height will be able to do high vertical jump [8]. Body height and jumping ability were found to be a crucial talent identification as well as the process of selecton in young volleyball players [9].…”

“…Talent identification model especially to identify volleyball players has been found by measuring anthropometrics, testing phyiological and biomotorical. This model also equipped with software that can be applied easily and quickly in identifying talented athletes, so the talent identification model is more effective and efficient [8]. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to apply the talent identification model to identify students of Elementary School in volleyball.…”

Reference values for body composition and physical fitness of young Brazilian elite soccer players

“…In general, several studies have highlighted the use of anthropometric measurements, BC, assessment of physiological parameters, PF and motor competence in young soccer players as indicators in talent detection (Stølen et al, 2005;Lidor et al, 2009;Coelho et al, 2010;Williams et al, 2014;Hohmann and Siener, 2021). To this end, reference data from various PF and BC tests are needed to assist coaches and athletes in the identification, selection and development of athletic talent (Lloyd and Oliver, 2012).…”