title: Physical performance characteristics of high-level female soccer players 12-21 years of age.
abstract: Performance assessment has become an invaluable component of monitoring player development and within talent identification programs in soccer, yet limited performance data are available for female soccer players across a wide age range. The aim of this study was to describe the physical performance characteristics of female soccer players ranging in age from 12 to 21 years. High-level female soccer players (n=414) were evaluated on linear sprinting (36.6 m with 9.1 m splits), countermovement jump (CMJ), and two agility tests. Separate one-way ANOVAs were used to compare performance characteristics between (1) each year of chronological age and (2) three age groups: 12-13 years, n=78, 14-17 years, n=223, and 18-21 years, n=113. Mean linear sprint speed over 9.1 m was similar across all chronological ages, however sprint speed over the final 9.1 m, CMJ height and agility scores improved until approximately 15-16 years. Outcomes from the group data indicated better performance on all tests for the 14-17-year-old group compared with the 12-13-year-old group. Additionally, sprint speed on the second and fourth 9.1 m splits and 36.6 m sprint speed as well as performance on the Illinois agility test was better in the 18-21-year-old group compared with the 14-17-year-old group. The findings from this study indicate that marked improvements of high intensity short duration work occur up until 15-16 years. Smaller gains in performance were observed beyond 16 years of age as evidenced by better performance on 36.6 m sprint speed, several sprint splits and the Illinois agility test in the college aged players (i.e., 18-21-year-old group).
authors.affiliation: School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada. vescovij@aol.com
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Vescovi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rupf
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Marques
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D054874:Athletic Performance; D002648:Child; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009048:Motor Skills; D009068:Movement; D012420:Running; D012916:Soccer / Q000502:physiology*; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D055815:Young Adult