title: Growth and maturity status of elite British junior tennis players.
abstract: Growth and maturation impact the selection, development and progression of youth athletes. Individual differences in the growth and maturity may afford a performance advantage, clouding coaches and practitioners' perceptions regarding current ability and future potential. This may result in the exclusion of talented, yet less physically gifted athletes. Participants were 91 male (n = 47) and female (n = 44) elite British Junior tennis players, 8-17 years of age (12.5 ± 1.9 years). Height and body mass were measured and compared to growth charts; hand-wrist radiographs were taken. Skeletal age (SA) was estimated with the Fels method and contrasted to chronological age (CA). Mean height and body mass of individual players ranged between the 50th and 90th centiles for age and sex. Females were advanced in SA relative to CA (0.3-0.89 years.) from 8 years. Males were average to delayed in maturation from 8 to 12 years, but advanced in SA from 14 to 16 years (0.75-1.23 years). Individual differences in growth and maturation appear to contribute towards the selection of elite junior tennis players, with a bias towards males and females who are advanced in maturation and comparatively tall and heavy for their age. This has important implications for talent identification and development.
authors.affiliation: a National Tennis Centre , Lawn Tennis Association, Roehampton , London , UK.|b Sport, Health and Exercises Science Research Group, Department of Health , University of Bath , Bath , UK.
authors.forename: Gillian K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Myburgh
authors.affiliation: b Sport, Health and Exercises Science Research Group, Department of Health , University of Bath , Bath , UK.
authors.forename: Sean P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Cumming
authors.affiliation: c Faculty of Sports Science and Physical Education , University of Coimbra , Coimbra , Portugal.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coelho E Silva
authors.affiliation: d British Swimming, Sport Park , Loughborough , UK.
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cooke
authors.affiliation: e Professor Emeritus, Department of Kinesiology and Health Education , University of Texas at Austin.
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Malina
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000365:Age Determination by Skeleton; D000367:Age Factors; D000886:Anthropometry; D001076:Aptitude; D056352:Athletes; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010809:Physical Fitness; D012737:Sex Factors; D013715:Tennis; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: Puberty; adolescence; talent development; youth athletes