Talented but Not Chosen-A Cross-Sectional Study-Do Coaches Release Late-Maturing Under-14 Players When Making...

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Talent Identification
• Youth Soccer Development

Background:

• Coaches' selection decisions for youth soccer teams are influenced by player characteristics.
• Understanding these influences is key to equitable talent identification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between coaches' decisions and players' relative age, biological maturation, and experience in Under-14 (U14) soccer.
• To identify factors influencing selection for District and National Teams.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 360 male U14 soccer players.
• Data collected included birth dates, anthropometrics, fitness (handgrip strength), and performance indicators.
• Maturation status assessed via bone age.

Main Results:

• Most players were born in the first two quartiles; differences diminished when controlling for bone age.
• Late maturers played fewer minutes; early/on-time maturers dominated National Team selections.
• Greater variability in maturation across all birth quartiles observed.

Conclusions:

• Maturation status and relative age effect significantly impact coaches' selection decisions.
• Current talent identification may favor early maturers and those born earlier in the year.
• Recommends equitable approaches to talent identification, considering maturation bias for long-term player development.