title: Soccer skill development in talented players.
abstract: The aim of the study was to gain insight into the development of soccer-specific skills and whether differences between talented players exist on the Loughborough Soccer Passing Test (LSPT). Two scores were derived from the LSPT: 1) execution time: time to complete 16 passes (speed) and 2) skill performance time: execution time including bonus and penalty time for accuracy. The study consisted of 2 parts, the first of which incorporated a quasi-longitudinal design with 270 talented players aged 10-18 years performing the LSPT (661 measurement occasions); multilevel modelling was applied. Secondly, differences between those players allowed to continue in the development program (selected, n=269) and players who were forced to leave (de-selected, n=50) were investigated using independent sample t-tests. The longitudinal data showed that the predicted execution time (i. e., speed) improved approximately 18% from age 10-18 years (P<0.05), skill performance time (i. e., combination of speed and accuracy) was predicted to improve approximately 32% (P<0.05). The second part showed that selected players outscored de-selected players only on skill performance time (P<0.05), not on execution time (P>0.05). In conclusion, in high-level youth soccer, the combination of speed and accuracy in soccer skills might be more important than speed alone.
authors: Center for Human Movement Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands. b.c.h.huijgen@med.umcg.nl
authors: B C H
authors: BC
authors: Huijgen
authors: M T
authors: MT
authors: Elferink-Gemser
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Ali
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Visscher
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012916:Soccer / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors