Identifying Training Load Variables for Elite Youth Soccer Through a Conceptual Framework.

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Performance Analysis
• Youth Athlete Development

Background:

• Player monitoring programs are crucial for elite youth athletes.
• Selecting appropriate load variables is challenging.
• A structured approach is needed to optimize monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To guide the selection of load variables for elite academy soccer player monitoring.
• To apply a conceptual framework based on literature and expert opinion.
• To refine player monitoring through data-driven insights.

Main Methods:

• A conceptual framework was developed to identify load variables.
• Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to analyze training and match data.
• Data from 145 elite youth soccer players (U15-U19) over two seasons were assessed.

Main Results:

• The framework identified 16 metrics for absolute PCA and 14 for relative PCA.
• 3-4 consistent components emerged across age groups, aligning with the framework's load constructs.
• Component variance ranged from 13.8% to 29.3%, showing consistency across age groups.

Conclusions:

• Multiple factors are necessary to describe the load experienced by elite youth soccer players.
• Both external and internal load measures should be included in monitoring.
• The framework and PCA-identified themes can help practitioners select optimal load monitoring variables.