title: Multivariate analyses of individual variation in soccer skill as a tool for talent identification and development: utilising evolutionary theory in sports science.
abstract: The development of a comprehensive protocol for quantifying soccer-specific skill could markedly improve both talent identification and development. Surprisingly, most protocols for talent identification in soccer still focus on the more generic athletic attributes of team sports, such as speed, strength, agility and endurance, rather than on a player's technical skills. We used a multivariate methodology borrowed from evolutionary analyses of adaptation to develop our quantitative assessment of individual soccer-specific skill. We tested the performance of 40 individual academy-level players in eight different soccer-specific tasks across an age range of 13-18 years old. We first quantified the repeatability of each skill performance then explored the effects of age on soccer-specific skill, correlations between each of the pairs of skill tasks independent of age, and finally developed an individual metric of overall skill performance that could be easily used by coaches. All of our measured traits were highly repeatable when assessed over a short period and we found that an individual's overall skill - as well as their performance in their best task - was strongly positively correlated with age. Most importantly, our study established a simple but comprehensive methodology for assessing skill performance in soccer players, thus allowing coaches to rapidly assess the relative abilities of their players, identify promising youths and work on eliminating skill deficits in players.
authors.affiliation: a School of Biological Sciences , The University of Queensland , St Lucia , QLD , Australia.
authors.forename: Robbie S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: b Research Centre for Applied Biological and Exercise Sciences , Coventry University , Coventry , UK.
authors.forename: Rob S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: James
authors.affiliation: a School of Biological Sciences , The University of Queensland , St Lucia , QLD , Australia.
authors.forename: Gwendolyn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: David
authors.affiliation: c Liechtenstein Football Federation , Schaan , Liechtenstein.|d Medicare AG , Schaan , Liechtenstein.
authors.forename: Ecki
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hermann
authors.affiliation: b Research Centre for Applied Biological and Exercise Sciences , Coventry University , Coventry , UK.|e Liverpool Football Club , Liverpool , UK.
authors.forename: Oliver J
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.affiliation: a School of Biological Sciences , The University of Queensland , St Lucia , QLD , Australia.
authors.forename: Amanda C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Niehaus
authors.affiliation: a School of Biological Sciences , The University of Queensland , St Lucia , QLD , Australia.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.affiliation: b Research Centre for Applied Biological and Exercise Sciences , Coventry University , Coventry , UK.
authors.forename: Doug
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Thake
authors.affiliation: f School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences , The University of Queensland , St Lucia , QLD , Australia.
authors.forename: Michelle D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001076:Aptitude; D054874:Athletic Performance; D006801:Humans; D009048:Motor Skills; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D053580:Muscle Strength; D010807:Physical Endurance; D010809:Physical Fitness; D012420:Running; D012916:Soccer
keywords: Performance; evolutionary sports science; soccer; soccer skill