Assessing Technical Skills in Talented Youth Athletes: A Systematic Review

Koopmann, Till; Faber, Irene R.; Baker, Joseph; Schorer, Jörg

doi:10.1007/s40279-020-01299-4

Cited by 59 publications

(63 citation statements)

References 105 publications

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“…Second, within this study, the proper passing options were determined a priori based on the expert evaluation. However, the successful execution of a made decision depends on a player’s technical skills [ 8 ] and is also influenced by contextual factors (e.g., the status of time or score) [ 66 ] which is usually not represented within laboratory settings. Third, a common limitation of video-based assessments without a specific response is the lack of perception-action-coupling.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In general, sports performance is moderated by multiple interdependent variables including physiological, biomechanical, and psychological factors [ 5 ]. In the past years, extended research concerning physical factors was conducted [ 6 ] while the role of other performance factors such as psychological factors attracted less attention [ 7 , 8 ]. To specify, these factors incorporate psychomotor, cognitive, and personality-related factors.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Decision-Making Skills in Youth Basketball Players: Diagnostic and External Validation of a Video-Based Assessment

Rosch

Schultz

Höner

2021

IJERPH

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Decision-making is a central skill of basketball players intending to excel individually and contribute to their teams’ success. The assessment of such skills is particularly challenging in complex team sports. To address this challenge, this study aimed to conceptualize a reliable and valid video-based decision-making assessment in youth basketball. The study sample comprised youth basketball players of the German U16 national team (n = 17; MAge = 16.01 ± 0.25 years) and students of a sports class (n = 17; MAge = 15.73 ± 0.35 years). Diagnostic validity was tested by determination of the performance levels according to response accuracy as well as response time in the assessment. External validity was examined by investigation of the correlation between the diagnostic results of the elite athletes and their real game performance data associated with passing skills. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the diagnostic results discriminate between performance levels (χ2(2) = 20.39, p < 0.001, Nagelkerke’s R2 = 0.60). Multiple regression analysis demonstrated a positive relationship between the diagnostic results and assists (F(2,10) = 4.82, p < 0.05; R2 = 0.49) as well as turnovers per game (F(2,10) = 5.23, p < 0.05; R2 = 0.51). However, no relationship was detected regarding the assist-turnover ratio. Further, response time discriminated within the elite athletes’ performance data but not between performance levels while for response accuracy the opposite is the case. The results confirm the diagnostic and external validity of the assessment and indicate its applicability to investigate decision-making skills in youth basketball.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Decision-Making Skills in Youth Basketball Players: Diagnostic and External Validation of a Video-Based Assessment

Rosch

Schultz

Höner

2021

IJERPH

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“…In addition to the reviews for sport (Sarmento et al, 2018;Koopmann et al, 2020) or soccer skills (Murr et al, 2018a;Williams et al, 2020), the present study underlines the importance of technical skills. The median effect size for dribbling (d = 0.47) in this study was at the lower end of the range of effect sizes that Murr et al (2018a) identified in 10 prospective soccer studies (0.47 ≤ d ≤ 1.24).…”

Section: Technical Skills (Motor Domain)mentioning

confidence: 69%

“…A further limitation is that this study only investigated male players. With a few exceptions (Datson et al, 2020;Leyhr et al, 2020b), this is typical of talent research in sport, with an overrepresentation of male studies in general (Johnston et al, 2018;Koopmann et al, 2020) and in soccer (Murr et al, 2018b;Sarmento et al, 2018). However, gender must be considered as a potential moderator variable regarding the prognostic relevance of talent predictors, and thus, future studies should extend their focus to female athletes (Williams et al, 2020), in particular due to the increasing popularity of female soccer (Manson et al, 2014).…”

Section: Limitations and Perspectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nationwide Subjective and Objective Assessments of Potential Talent Predictors in Elite Youth Soccer: An Investigation of Prognostic Validity in a Prospective Study

Höner

Murr

Larkin

et al. 2021

Front. Sports Act. Living

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Recent studies have provided empirical evidence on the prognostic relevance of objective performance diagnostics in the soccer talent identification and development process. However, little is known about the prognostic validity of coaches' subjective evaluations of performance. This study evaluated objective and subjective assessments within a nationwide talent development program and addressed motor, perceptual skill, and personality-related performance factors. Male players (N = 13,869; Mage = 12.59 ± 1.07 years) from the age groups U12 to U15 of the German soccer talent development program participated in this study. Participants completed an objective motor diagnostic (sprint, agility, dribbling, ball control, juggling) and were subjectively rated by their coaches (kicking skills, endurance, individual tactical skills, psychosocial skills). All nine predictors were assessed with sufficient psychometric properties (α ≥ 0.72; except dribbling and ball control: α ≥ 0.53). Players' success three seasons later was operationalized by achieving professional youth academy level or not (success rate, 9%). Independent-samples t-tests analyzed univariate mean group comparisons between future selected and non-selected players. Logistic regression models examined the multivariate prognostic validity of all assessments by predicting success with subjective (model 1), objective (model 2), and both groups of predictors (model 3). Confirming the univariate prognostic validity, future selected outperformed non-selected players regarding all predictors (each p < 0.001, except for agility in U15: p < 0.01). Tactical skills, kicking skills, and sprint were of highest predictive value (d ≥ 0.61 in each age group). Multivariate results provided empirical evidence for the subjective (7% ≤ Nagelkerke's R2 ≤ 11%; each p < 0.001) and objective (8% ≤ Nagelkerke's R2 ≤ 13%; each p < 0.001) assessments' prognostic validity. However, model 3 revealed the best statistical explanatory power in each age group (0.15 ≤ Nagelkerke's R2 ≤ 0.20; p < 0.001). In this combined assessment model, sprint, tactical skills, and dribbling were found to be the most predictive variables. In conclusion, this study reinforces the call for multidimensional diagnostics integrating objective and subjective assessments. Future research is needed to address the demands for longitudinal analyses of subjective ratings, the integration of biological maturation, and empirical evidence for female soccer.

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“…These studies emphasize the predictive value of technical characteristics for future sports performance. A recent systematic review also demonstrated the great capability of sport-specific technical characteristics assessments to predict future performance [ 30 ]. Especially in an early-entry sport as tennis, sport-specific technical characteristics seem to be crucial for future performance given the specific competences to be developed from an early age.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The value of technical characteristics for future performance in youth tennis players: A prospective study

et al. 2021

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The aim of this study is to examine whether technical characteristics predict current and future tennis performance of youth tennis players. Twenty-nine male youth tennis players (age 13.40 ± .51) were assessed on anthropometrical characteristics (height, weight, maturity status) and technical characteristics (ball speed, accuracy and percentage errors) using an on-court tennis test when they were under-14 (U14). Game situations were simulated, which were either fixed or variable. The variable game situations required players to consider the direction of the ball, as opposed to the fixed game situations where players needed to play every ball to the same side. Players’ tennis ratings were obtained U14 (‘current performance’) and under-18 (U18) (‘future performance’). According to their rating U18 players were classified as future elite (n = 9) or future competitive (n = 20). A multiple linear regression analysis showed that ball speed and accuracy were significant predictors of current and future performance (p < .001), with R2 of .595 and .463, respectively. When controlling for age, a one-way MANCOVA revealed that future elite players were more accurate than future competitive players (p = .048, 95% CI [.000 to .489]), especially in variable compared to fixed game situations (p < .05). In conclusion, the current study is the first to show that technical characteristics are crucial for current as well as future performance in youth male tennis players. Findings of this prospective study provide essential information to coaches about characteristics that require most attention in performance development in youth players.

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Assessing Technical Skills in Talented Youth Athletes: A Systematic Review

Cited by 59 publications

References 105 publications

Decision-Making Skills in Youth Basketball Players: Diagnostic and External Validation of a Video-Based Assessment

Decision-Making Skills in Youth Basketball Players: Diagnostic and External Validation of a Video-Based Assessment

Nationwide Subjective and Objective Assessments of Potential Talent Predictors in Elite Youth Soccer: An Investigation of Prognostic Validity in a Prospective Study

The value of technical characteristics for future performance in youth tennis players: A prospective study

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