Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Youth football (soccer)'

The concepts of Athletic Identity (Brewer, Van Raalte, & Linder,1993) and identity (Erikson, 1950, 1968) both carry notions of having a clear sense of self definition. Applied practitioners in elite professional football settings (e.g. Holt & Dunn, 2004; Harwood, 2008; Nesti & Littlewood, 2010; Nesti, 2013) have championed the notion that individuals who possess a clear sense of self, (generally) cope with the demanding nature of first team football, and the daily challenges that arise from their chosen profession (i.e., injury, de-selection). Conversely, a small number of researchers have consistently argued that professional football club culture may not support the development of a clear sense of identity in (young) players, as it has been described as espousing notions of power, dominance, authority and insecurity (see e.g. Parker, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001; Roderick, 2006, 2006a). The present thesis explores the role of identity, the impact of football club culture on its formation, and its importance in the career trajectory of youth team footballers. Across three distinct studies, this thesis explores the concepts of Athletic Identity, identity, and the creation of club culture within youth and professional football. Study one used a cross sectional approach, within and across levels of play along with distinct situational, demographic variables to assess any differentiating factors in Athletic Identity in 168 (N = 168) youth team footballers. Football club explained 30% of the variance in exclusivity among players (p = .022). Mean social identity was significantly higher for those players in the first year of their apprenticeship compared to the second year (p = .025). The range of variance for exclusivity amongst players suggested it was the cultural climate created at each individual football club that impacted this subscale of Athletic Identity. Study Two used a qualitative approach with the aim of critically exploring the perceptions of practitioners in relation to; ideal player characteristics, working practices, organisational culture and environmental conditions. These facets are influenced by practitioners within youth development programmes, all of which contribute to shaping a player’s identity (Erikson, 1968). A total of 19 youth development practitioners were interviewed during data collection. Practitioners provided an explicit and clear blueprint of the ideal player characteristics required for successful upward transition, including, self belief, dedication and self awareness, which are synonymous with notions of identity. Finally, Study three used a case study approach to critically examine how players’ experiences of a professional football environment and culture served to shape their identity and allows them to cope with critical moments. A Championship football club served as the case study in which 4 players were interviewed 3 times over the course of one season. Findings were represented as narrative stories of each player. Findings suggested that having a clear sense of identity provided players with a platform for resilience and perseverance throughout a range of critical moments. In summary, it is vital that appropriate internal (club) and external (affiliated organisations) strategies are developed and integrated into practice to ensure that players develop a clear sense of identity and meaning. It is essential that this transcends the professional football domain for players to have the best possible platform for career progression and career termination.

Psychosocial factors are the interrelated psychological, social and/or behavioural considerations that can influence talent development in football (Holt & Dunn, 2004). Despite this, the significant growth of female football worldwide, and the psychosocial challenges faced by female athletes during adolescence, scant scholarly attention has been afforded to the role of psychosocial factors in the development of talented female football players. Therefore the main aim of this thesis was to understand psychosocial factors associated with talent development in UK female football players. Study one systematically reviewed the literature on psychosocial factors associated with talent development in soccer. Following an extensive literature searching, selecting and appraisal process, three overarching themes of psychological, social and behavioural factors associated with talent development in soccer - underpinned by a total of 33 subthemes were created. The appraised literature has a moderate-to-high risk of reporting bias; had a significant bias towards adolescent, Caucasian, male, able-bodied, and European soccer players; and extant literature has demonstrated bias towards quantitative approaches and retrospective data collection methods. Consequently, study two began to address these reported biases by longitudinally and prospectively investigating the developmental experiences of English elite female youth soccer players. Through interviews, fieldwork and the use of composite sequence analysis, study two forwarded the importance of psychosocial considerations including the interaction between players and key social agents (soccer fathers, soccer brothers, soccer peers and non- soccer peers), elements of self-regulation and volitional behaviours, and the subsequent developmental benefits for their soccer careers. However, this study did not address the experiences of those who were unsuccessful in their attempts to achieve an elite female soccer career, nor did it collect primary data from other key social agents. Building on the critique of study two, study three sought to adopt an underutilised approach of negative case analysis by examining the experiences of players who had been unsuccessful in their attempts to forge a career in female soccer. Based on interviews former female players, their best friends, coaches and teachers, a grounded theory of talent and career development in UK female youth soccer players was produced. The theory posited that interactions with multiple social agents can affect the quality of talent development and learning environment that a player experiences, which can lead to adaptive player level benefits and changes (e.g., basic psychological need satisfaction; development of pertinent intra-individual constructs; optimal match preparation and training behaviours) and create a greater chance of career success. Study three also forwarded important culturally significant considerations for practitioners working with UK female soccer players, such as an understanding of dual career demands and the impact of role strain on female players. However, study three did not test any of the theoretical predictions offered by the grounded theory. Owing to the need to test predictions of grounded theories to assess their predictive validity, study four sought to test key predictions using a representative sample of English talented and elite adolescent female soccer players (N=137). As a result of the limited structural stability of the Basic Needs Satisfaction in Sport Scale and the Talent Development Environment Questionnaire (as demonstrated by significant cross loading of items, high bivariate correlations between subscales, and one example of an inadequate Cronbach s alpha), data was parcelled and the revised path hypothesis: perceptions of talent development environment > basic psychological needs satisfaction > career aspirations and beliefs > career intentions was produced. Path analysis supported the hypothesis. Supporting findings of studies two and three, regression analysis demonstrated that playing level positively predicted career beliefs, aspirations and intentions; whereas age negatively predicted these variables. Finally, TDEQ results indicated a perception that UK female soccer players that they can be written off before having the opportunity to fulfil their potential. Overall, this thesis has provided original and unique contributions to the sport psychology literature by enlightening the body of research to the developmental experiences of English female youth soccer players. It provides a developmental understanding scarcely evident in existing talent development literature. The interactional roles of multiple social agents have been elucidated and linked to psychosocial development, behavioural outcomes and talent and career progression within talented female players. The thesis has extended previous approaches to talent development in soccer by testing the predictions of the grounded theory. Initial evidence suggests that the proffered grounded theory is robust; however further research utilising structurally sound and ecologically valid measures would serve to further validate these claims.

Training stress in the absence of adequate recovery has been associated with a decrease in well-being and performance. Thus, there is potential for the high training and competition loads that elite English youth football players experience to have a negative effect on wellbeing and performance. The aim of the thesis was to assess the utility of well-being and physical performance assessments in managing the development of elite English youth football players. The first study (Chapter 4) examined the sensitivity of a subjective well-being questionnaire (WQ; developed ‘in-house’ by sport science practitioners at a category two academy and only taking < 30 s to complete), by comparing the player’s next day responses between two acute training bouts of varied duration; 15 mins (low load) compared to 90 mins (high load) high intensity intermittent exercise (Loughborough intermittent shuttle test, LIST). WQ items showed small to large deteriorations following the high load compared to low load (d=0.4-1.5, P=0.03-0.57). The ability of the WQ to differentiate between responses to high and low training loads indicated that this questionnaire could be used to detect training induced stress prior to training on a daily basis throughout the season. Other modes of monitoring assessment evaluated were either not sensitive to differentiate between high and low loads (countermovement jump; CMJ) or detected differences between high and low training load responses (HR indices) but lacked utility in detecting individual changes. The second study (Chapter 5) applied well-being and physical performance assessments to elite English youth football players during a high intensity, low volume pre-season training period. Trivial changes in perception of WQ items of sleep, recovery, appetite, fatigue, stress and muscle soreness were observed across weeks (P=0.35-0.93, 2 P  =0.02-0.08) with no negative WQ responses evident. Internal training load was lower to a large extent in week 1 (P= < 0.001, 2P  =0.54) yet no differences in internal training load were evident across weeks two, three, four and five. Trivial to small associations (r=-0.21 to 0.19) between internal training load and WQ responses were observed. Small to moderate improvements in aerobic performance were evident post training in comparison with pre training (P < 0.001-0.53, d= 0.33 – 0.94) with a large to moderate improvement in submaximal HR measures (P < 0.001 – 0.09; 2 P  = 0.34 - 0.74) observed across the training weeks. Trivial to moderate impairments in neuromuscular performance were evident post training in comparison with pre training (P < 0.001 – 0.21; d=0.17 – 1.00). Collectively, the preservation of well-being prior to each training session during a pre-season period and improvements in aspects of physical performance were indicative of a balance between stress and recovery. The third study (Chapter 6) examined player perceptions of well-being and physical performance across a season in Elite English youth football players. Increases in training exposure (P < 0.05; 2 P  =0.52) and moderate to large deteriorations in perceptions of well-being (motivation, sleep quality, recovery, appetite, fatigue, stress, muscle soreness P < 0.05; 2 P  =0.30-0.53) were evident as the season progressed. A large improvement in Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test performance (Yo-Yo IRT; P < 0.05; 2 P  =0.93) and a small to moderate impairment in neuromuscular performance (P > 0.05; 2 P  =0.18 - 0.48) was observed as the season progressed. These findings show an imbalance between stress and recovery in English elite youth football players even when players experienced lower training exposure than stipulated by the elite player performance plan (EPPP). In summary, this thesis highlights the potential utility of subjective well-being assessments to inform the management English elite youth football player development. Furthermore, it highlights the high training volumes that English elite youth players are exposed can potentially lead to an imbalance between stress and recovery.

Abstract Background: Football is among the world’s most popular sports. It is played all over the world. The sport is an intermittent team sport with demands on technical, tactical, psychological and physical abilities. This study focused on the physical ability and more specifically sprinting and agility. Youth national teams are selected every year from the age of 15 and the Swedish Football Association are funding camps and friendly matches were this selected few youth players are being educated in technique, tactics, psychology and physical training. Due to the selections for the national teams taking place at the age of 15, youth players can be affected on how far they have come in the biological maturation. Aim: The aim of this study was to compare linear speed and non-reactive agility between youth football players selected or not selected for the national team. Method: The study was an observatory cross-sectional study. Twenty-three subjects from an elite club in Sweden were divided into two groups. Eleven subjects had been to a national team gathering (n=11) and twelve players from the same teams had not been invited and was one group (n=12). The subjects performed a linear sprint test and a non-reactive agility test to compare differences between the two groups. The linear sprint test consisted of a 20-meter sprint with split times at 5 and 10 meters. The non-reactive agility test was a zigzag-test over a total of 15 meter. Both tests used timing gates to record time. SPSS was used for the statistical analysis. Results: There was a statistically significantly difference (p<0.050) between the groups in the linear sprint. The national team group ran 6.6% (p=0.003) faster in the 5-meter sprint test, 2.4% (p=0.020) faster in the 5-meter sprint test and 3.4% (p=0.007) faster in the 20-meter sprint test. There were no statistically significant differences (p>0.050) in the non-reactive agility test. Conclusion: This study found a difference in sprinting ability and it could be due to the difference in the maturation phases. The biggest difference was in the shortest distance, indicating that shorter sprints are more important to develop over longer sprints. The non-reactive agility test showed no statistically significant differences. Future studies could investigate speed and agility separate with larger groups of participants and follow them over time to see if the difference in both speed and agility evens out over time, when all participants have gone trough the final stages of maturation.

Football as the most popular sport, serves as a medium through which development issues can be addressed in a variety of ways. The potential and limitations of sport as a vehicle for change are widely recognized for informing YDF and partner organisations for change and capacity building at all levels of engagement. The YDF on HIV prevention project brought about a close working relationship between GIZ/YDF, Volkswagen groups South Africa, NGO’s, federations and government institutions. Volkswagen formed a PPP (Public Private Partnership) to promote HIV prevention among the youth in the Eastern Cape Province. The aim of the cooperation was to raise awareness and improve the knowledge of the youth on HIV prevention. The project combined peer education through football with life-skills education on HIV Prevention in schools. The present study aimed at evaluating the impact and effectiveness of the YDF project in addressing HIV prevention awareness in the selected schools of Nelson Mandela Bay. The sample consisted of fifty grades six and seven learners of the ages of twelve and over. In this mixed methods research, both qualitative and quantitative methods were used and data was collected by means of questionnaires and interviews where pre and post-test studies were conducted. The results suggest that there has been an improvement in the learners’ awareness and therefore the YDF on HIV prevention programme has been effective in improving the participants’ level of HIV prevention awareness in Nelson Mandela Bay. These findings should make a meaningful contribution to the debate on sports based participation programmes on HIV/AIDS education, with regard to the stakeholders and implementing parties, as well as to the public.

This thesis contends that the contemporary phenomenon of youth football is the fruit of a variety of historical developments over the twentieth century. The manner in which the junior game evolved as an independent subset of the sport in France and America was certainly exemplary of the idiosyncrasies of national sporting culture, football in particular, the general timeline of each country as well as the place of 'youth' in wider society. The present study aims to expand the understanding of the game of football, specifically the youth sector, through a transnational line of enquiry covering the period from circa 1920 to circa 2000. The thesis structure is broadly thematic and chronological. This comparative approach attempts to remain coherent across both countries with a goal of outlining the core issues and major shifts which occurred over the chosen period. Youth football underwent a process of demarcation from the adult or elite game but maintained and furthered specific mechanisms linking the two across sporting, educational, and professional bridges. With the decade of the 1970s serving as a turning point, the youth level achieved a sort of independence while being inextricably fused to the top level. The essence of the growing separation of the youth from the senior level rested on the fundamental notion of 'age' as opposed to 'ability'. The organisation of football around this concept of 'age', and the resulting limitation of participation, provided a basis for 'junior' football as a distinct entity by the last quarter of the twentieth century. Subsequent divisions extended the differences between age categories and created a full competitive youth spectrum for younger and younger players. The game was, as a result, 'juvenilized'. The registration of players and the competitions for which this registration was so important reflected the relevance of 'age'. Throughout this process, though in different ways and at different speeds in the two countries studied, the youth game was drawn away from its roots in the school and as a pillar of the world of education. After the initial interwar and post-war eras, youth football moved toward the worlds of the club and association. This specialisation of the game was also evident in the rules and the equipment, all of which were progressively adapted for a more pedagogically correct, and perhaps commercially oriented, fit. While the youth game separated from the adult footballing world through age classification, distinct competitive spaces, adapted rules and equipment, that expanding gulf was continually bridged in various ways in order to maintain, develop, and create new links between these two increasingly distinct sectors of the sport. The link with the elite and the professional levels was certainly not new, but from the 1970s onwards it was solidified over time and the relationship grew closer as education moved farther away or, at the least, took a back seat to 'professional training'. By the close of the twentieth century, this ultimately placed the youth game as distinct from the adult game. Yet, somewhat contradictorily, it was closer than ever to the elite professional domain. As subject to international, professional and commercial forces, the youth game was fused to elite football. These three forces pulled youth football away from their uniquely national idioms and towards a more globalized arena. Harmonizing the experience across national boundaries, a blend of educational, sporting and professional bridges ensured and furthered the connection between the youth and the adult elite player. From the late nineteenth century's amateur world view - where football and sport were idealized as a means for development of the human being or the vehicle for the transmission of elite social values - the effects of professionalization turned football into an end in itself as a legitimate career. From child's play to a real métier. By the end of the twentieth century, the youth game stood confidently with one foot in each world.

The attainment of expertise has been the focus of research in many domains including music, chess and sport. This research has progressed with many theories detailing the best way to develop expertise and nurture talent in sport. Soccer is a multifaceted sport which requires a number of physical, technical and tactical skills to be successful, making it difficult to achieve expertise. Although Australia’s performance on the international stage is improving, there is a lack of evidence to inform the most effective development pathways to support the next wave of talented youth soccer players. Therefore, the aim of the thesis was to understand what is required to be an expert in Australian youth soccer, and which environmental factors can influence the development of expertise in youth soccer players. To enhance our understanding of the development of expertise in Australian soccer, the current thesis was guided by the Expert Performance Approach (Ericsson & Smith, 1991) and included three individual studies which captured expert performance, identified underlying mechanisms and examined how expertise was developed. Sixty-two male soccer players (17.0 ± 0.61 y) who represented three cohorts in Australian youth soccer; national elite (Australian Institute of Sport), state elite (state institute) and sub-elite (state league) participated in this study. Study One captured expert performance through an in-depth analysis of the match characteristics of the three levels of expertise. A total of 24 matches across the three levels of expertise in Australian youth soccer were analysed, with each match videoed and manually coded using SportsCode according to frequently used match characteristics from the literature. A hierarchical cluster analysis was used to see if teams with similar technical characteristics could be grouped together in order to make inferences about distinctive tactics and game styles. There were three game styles identified across the cohorts, with the state and national elite cohorts forming two distinct clusters, whilst the sub-elite teams clustered together based on technical output. More specifically, the two elite cohorts executed two different possession styles of play, while the sub-elite cohort played a direct style of game. Although it was clear that technical output and game styles differed across cohorts, it was not clear which underlying mechanisms allowed teams to play this way. The aim of Study Two was to identify which skills could distinguish the three levels of Australian youth soccer players and contribute to an explanation of the different game styles identified in Study One. This was done using a multifaceted testing battery including physical, technical and tactical tests. The physical tests included intermittent endurance, sprinting, change of direction and vertical jumps, the technical tests included short and long passing, dribbling and shooting, while the tactical test was a perceptual-cognitive decision-making task which required players to choose the correct option in a video-based task. There were a number of physical, technical and tactical outcome measures that could distinguish between cohorts based on the Receiver Operating Characteristic curves. The most prominent tests included the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 1, 30m sprint and 20m flying start, height, Loughborough Soccer Passing Test, long passing test, ball control, shooting test and perceptual-cognitive decision-making task. Furthermore, the multidimensional analysis could clearly differentiate players from each cohort based on a Cumulative Total Score for each player. It is evident that the underlying mechanisms for expert performance in Australian youth soccer included elements of physical, technical and tactical prowess which may contribute to the differences in game styles observed in Study One. Study Three examined how expertise is developed in Australian youth soccer players. The participants completed the Development History of Athletes Questionnaire (DHAQ) (Hopwood, Baker, MacMahon, & Farrow, 2010). A decision tree induction analysis was used to determine which developmental factors contributed most to the predictor variable, the Cumulative Total Score. The amount of sport specific practice distinguished the two highest skilled groups from the lower skilled players. There were then two distinct pathways taken by the elite Australian youth soccer players. The first pathway included players who were later born in their family and had older siblings that participated in other sport, which contributed to their development in soccer. The second pathway included those players who were born early in their family (first or second), with this group specialising later in soccer (after the age of 13), compared to the second tier of athletes. Overall it was clear that there were distinguishing game styles for various levels of Australian youth soccer players. The elite players had underlying physical, technical and tactical attributes that allowed them to execute a possession-based game style. This thesis has provided evidence that the national elite players had followed a different pathway and been exposed to different environmental influences compared to the sub-elite players, factors that had contributed to their current level of expertise and success. This work provides Football Federation Australia and associated personnel with a strong framework upon which to base their talent identification and development programs given this thesis was able to provide evidence of distinct game styles, physical, technical and tactical skills distinguishing playing levels and differing pathways exhibited by the athlete cohorts.

Abstract Aim The main purpose of this study was to investigate and compare the effects of a very heavy resisted sprint training regimen and a unresisted sprint training regimen on sprint, acceleration and jump performance in late pubertal adolescent football (soccer) players at mid- to post-PHV and >95% PAH. Method In total 27 male football players were recruited as volunteer participants. The participants had no previous experience with resisted sprint training. The participants were randomly assigned to either the resisted sprint (RST) (n=9) or unresisted sprint (UST) (n=10) training group. However, the grouping was matched based on the force-velocity (F-v) profiling. A control group (i.e. TAU group n=8) was matched with the experimental groups based on age and anthropometrics. The training was done twice a week for four weeks, consisting of either resisted or unresisted sprints. 24 of the original 27 participants could later be included for statistical analysis. During intervention the TAU group performed the regular team training with no additional stimuli from the researchers. Anthropometrics, sprint, acceleration and jump performance testing was tested pre- and post-training intervention. Results The four-week training intervention resulted in significant improvements of sprint- and acceleration for the RST-group. The improvements were 3,8% (±0.05) in T30, 4,2% (±0.06) in T20, 5,7% (±0.06) in T10, and 7,9% (±0.06) in the T5. The RST and UST groups also had significant improvements in both vertical and horizontal jump performance. Further there were several significant between group changes in both sprint and jump performance favoring the RST group over both the UST and TAU groups. Conclusion The conclusions are that in this population a very heavy RST regimen elicits improvements in sprint and acceleration performance whilst a UST regimen does not. Further, both the RST- and UST- training regimens elicit improvements in both vertical and horizontal jump performance. The improvements of the present study follow the pattern of previous studies in the field indicating a greater horizontal force generating ability. However, the improvements in the present study are larger than previously seen, indicating that this type of training might be extra beneficial to enhance sprint and jump performance in late pubertal adolescent athletes. The findings of the present study also contradict the typical recommendations of using light resistance loads (i.e. the 10% rule) when it comes to RST. Heavier loads, as in this case 103,5% of body weight on average, can indeed be used to produce sprint and acceleration gains in a late pubertal adolescent athlete population. The improvement in these short sprints (5-30m) versus the eventual performance decrease in longer sprints 40-70m (e.g. due to less effective maximal velocity phase) is a trade off which logically should be worthwhile for team sport athletes.
Abstrakt Syfte Det huvudsakliga syftet med denna studie var att undersöka och jämföra effekterna av väldigt tungt belastad sprintträning och obelastad sprintträning på sprint-, acceleration och hopprestation hos unga fotbollsspelare i sena tonåren som ligger på en mognadsgrad av ”mid- post-PHV” samt >95% PAH. Metod Totalt 27 fotbollsspelare rekryterades som frivilliga deltagare. Deltagarna hade ingen tidigare erfarenhet av belastad sprintträning. Deltagarna blev slumpmässigt indelade till antingen den belastade (RST) eller den obelastade (UST) träningsgruppen. Dock skedde grupperingen med deltagarnas kraft- hastighetsprofilering som bas, då grupperna blev matchade efter denna. Kontrollgruppen (TAU n=8) matchades med experimentgrupperna efter ålder och antropometri. Träningen bestod av väldigt tungt belastad eller obelastad sprintträning och utfördes två gånger i veckan under fyra veckor. 24 av de initialt 27 deltagarna kunde inkluderas för vidare analys. Under interventionen genomförde TAU den vanliga lagträningen utan ytterligare träningsstimuli från forskarna. Antropometri, sprint, acceleration och hopprestation testades före respektive efter interventionen. Resultat Den fyra veckor långa träningsinterventionen resulterade i signifikanta förbättringar i sprint och acceleration för RST-gruppen. Förbättringarna var 3,8% (±0.05) i T30, 4,2% (±0.06) i T20, 5,7% (±0.06) i T10, och 7,9% (±0.06) i T5. RST och UST grupperna hade också signifikanta förbättringar i både vertikal och horisontell hopprestation. Vidare fanns det flera signifikanta mellangruppsskillnader i både sprint- och hopprestation till fördel för RST gruppen över både UST och TAU grupperna. Konklusion Konklusionen är att ett väldigt tungt RST-träningsprogram framkallar signifikanta förbättringar i både sprint, acceleration och hopprestation medan ett UST-träningsprogram inte gör det. Vidare kan konkluderas att både ett RST- och ett UST-träningsprogram signifikant förbättrar både vertikal och horisontell hopprestationen. Förbättringarna följer mönstret från tidigare studier på området och indikerar en större horisontell kraftproduktion. Dock är förbättringarna större än vad som tidigare observerats vilket indikerar att denna typ av träning kan vara extra förtjänstfull för denna population. Resultaten motsäger även den typiska rekommendationen kring lätta vikter (dvs. 10% regeln) vid belastad sprintträning. Tyngre belastning, som i detta fall i genomsnitt 103,5% av kroppsvikten, kan användas för att producera sprint- och accelerationsförbättringar i denna population. Förbättringen av denna typ av korta sprinter (5-30m) gentemot den eventuella prestationsförsämringen i längre sprinter (40-70m) torde vara ett byte som är värt att göra för lagidrottare.

Sammanfattning Syfte och frågeställning - Studien undersöker hur tränare inom barn- och ungdomsfotbollen i Stockholm leder sina adepter i träning. Forskningsfrågorna lyder: Vilka ledarskapsbeteenden tillämpar tränare inom barn- och ungdomsfotbollen under pågående träning? Vilka typer av frågor använder tränarna och på vilka sätt utövas feedback/återkoppling? Vilka praktiska ledarskapsbeteenden kan identifieras i olika teorier om ledarskap?  Metod - I detta arbete genomfördes en etnografisk observation av tio fotbollstränare i åtta olika pojklag mellan tio och 19 år. Både träningen och tränarens röst spelades in. Tränarnas beteenden summerades i en tematisk analys för att ta reda på mönster i ledarskapet.   Resultat - Resultaten visar fyra tematiska områden av tränarnas tillämpade ledarskap, nämligen tillämpning av frågor, tillämpning av feedback, gruppsamlingar och atmosfär. Frågor används i ledande syfte eller som öppna frågor medan feedback ges specifikt eller icke-specifikt. De tillämpade ledarbeteendena kan kategoriseras in i dem olika ledarskapsstilar i Full Range of Leadership modellen. Slutsats - Beroende på ledarbeteendenas kontext skiftar tränarna framför allt mellan transaktionellt och transformationellt ledarskap.  Abstract Aim – The study researches how coaches in child- and youth soccer in Stockholm lead their followers in practice. The research questions are:  Which coaching behaviors do coaches apply in child and youth soccer practices? Which types of questions do coaches use and how is feedback applied?  Which practical leadership behaviors can be identified in leadership theory?  Method - The applied method is an ethnographic observation of ten coaches in their practices in eight boys’ football teams between ten and 19 years of age. Both practice and voice were recorded and subjected to a thematic analysis of behavioral patterns.  Results - The results show four themes of coaches’ applied leadership. These are application of questions, application of feedback, group gatherings and atmosphere. Questions are used in a leading fashion or as open questions, while the type of feedback is specific or non-specific. The applied leadership behaviors can be categorized in the Model of the Full Range of Leadership. Conclusion - Depending on the context of the behavior coaches vary especially between transactional and transformational leadership.

M. Phil. (Sport Management)
Youth football development has developed into an important, integral part of professional football world-wide. Countries such as Spain, Brazil and the Netherlands have proven that an investment in youth football development has resulted in them becoming the world’s best football playing countries as ranked by International Football Association (FIFA). The investment in youth football development by these countries has resulted in sustained football success. The aim of this study was to survey and analyse the management of youth football development programmes existing in the Gauteng Province, South Africa. Questionnaires were distributed among participants (youth players between the ages of 12 and 20 years) in selected structured youth football development programmes in Gauteng. Structured interviews were undertaken with managers, owners, directors, coaches and any other personnel working in these youth football development programmes to determine how these programmes are managed. Mixed methods were used to gather data from the questionnaire, structured interviews and from documentary analysis (e.g. annual reports, budgets, policies, development plans, minutes of meetings and strategic plans). The study focussed on the management of current youth football development programmes in the Gauteng Province IN South . The stratification of the sample was eight structured, youth football programmes (YFDP) existing in Gauteng Province and 216 participants responded completing the questionnaire. A manager, coach or administrator from each youth football development programme was personally interviewed by the researcher. Results of the mixed methods survey were analysed. Analysis of the data was mainly of a descriptive nature. A computer programme (SPSS version 20) was used to compute the results. The outcomes of the study showed that there are management, administration, financial as well as sport scientific support gaps in the development of young football players in established youth football programmes in the Gauteng Province.

Dissertação de Mestrado Internacional em Análise da Performance Desportiva
The aim of this study is to verify if differencial learning can improve technical skill pass more than the traditional training in youth football and futsal players. The sample was composed by 27 young Portuguese football players from Under 11 age group (U11: n=27, age: 10.0 ± 0.39) and 17 young Portuguese futsal players (U11: n=17, age: 9.27 ± 1.03). Each team was divided into 2 groups (control group and experimental group), in total 4 groups were made, two control and two experimental groups. The intervention time was around 2 months, and only experimental groups had an interventional program based on differential learning. The intervention was founded on analytic exercises and a small-side-games. Both groups performed the Loughborough Football Passing Test and the Creative Behaviour Assessment in Team Sports (CBATS) to assess the pass skills. The results of the Loughborough Football Passing Test showed that all 4 groups improved from the pre to the post test, however, a higher improve was presented in the experimental groups in football (-1,7; ± 1,3, possibly -ive) and socfutsal (-0,4; ±1,2, likely) teams when comparing with the control groups. Regarding to game related creative behaviour the results showed that the experimental group of the socfutsal team improves more in the versatility (0,6; ±0,6, likely + ive) and in the fails (0,5; ±0,5, likely – ive), on the other hand the fluency was stressed in the football team (0,5; ±0,9, possibly + ive). Comparing the two teams, the training intervention seems to be more effective in the football team. This study demonstrated that a differential learning intervention can provide an improvement in the performance of the pass technique in football and futsal players.
O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar se a aprendizagem diferencial pode melhorar a capacidade técnica do passe quando comparado a um modelo de aprendizagem mais tradicional em jovens jogadores de futebol e futsal. A amostra era composta por 27 jovens jogadores portugueses de futebol no escalão sub-11 (Sub11: n=27, idade: 10.0 ± 0.39) e 17 jovens jogadores portugueses de futsal (Sub11: n=17, idade: 9.27 ± 1.03). cada equipa foi dividida em dois grupos, formando assim o grupo controlo e o grupo experimental. A intervenção foi de cerca de 2 meses e apenas os grupos experimentais participavam no programa de intervenção. O programa era baseado em na aprendizagem diferencial, utilizando exercícios analíticos e jogo reduzido. Toda a amostra executou o mesmo teste para avaliar o passe, o Loughborough Football Passing Test e um jogo reduzido para avaliar a criatividade. Os resultados do Loughborough Football Passing Test demostram que todos os grupos melhoraram, tendo melhor resultados o grupo experimental de futebol (-1,7; ± 1,3, possibly-ive) e socfutsal (-0,4; ±1,2, likely) quando comparado com os grupos de controlo do pré para o pós-teste. Relativamente á criatividade os resultados mostram que o grupo experimental melhora mais na versatilidade na equipa de futsal (0,6; ±0,6, likely +ive) e nas falhas (-0,5; ±0,5, likely –ive) e fluência (0,5; ±0,9, possibly +ive) na equipa de futebol. Mostrando assim que o programa de treino ajuda no aumento da performance. No LSPT ambos os grupos experimentais (futebol e futsal) melhoraram comparativamente aos grupos de controlo. Comparando as duas equipas, o programa de treino parece ser mais efetivo na equipa de futebol. Este estudo demostra que a aprendizagem diferencial pode providenciar um aumento na performance relacionada á técnica do passe em jogadores de futebol e futsal.

ABSTRACT Common lower extremity injuries in female high school soccer players in Johannesburg east district Mtshali P.T.S. Background and purpose of research As the number of females participating in sports has increased, so has the necessity of understanding the effect of female growth and development in participation, athletic ability and injury patterns. Soccer is one of the sports where South Africa has seen an increase of youth and adult females’ participation. Aim: To establish the prevalence of and extrinsic risk factors contributing to injuries in the lower extremity in female high school soccer players in the Johannesburg east district. Method: A retrospective descriptive questionnaire – based study of 103 first team high school female soccer players in the Johannesburg east district was conducted. This was to determine point and one year prevalence of injuries, profile of injuries that affect female soccer players, associations between injuries and player position, age, use of equipment, frequency of play, and training duration and also to identify possible risk factors that contribute to injuries. Results: The one year prevalence of injured players was 46.1% and point prevalence was 37.8%. Knee injuries (18.6%) and ankle injuries (17.6%) were reported for one year prevalence and for point prevalence knee injuries were 13.3% and ankle injuries 18.9%. An extended duration of skills (p=0.0001) and fitness (p=0.02) training in this population reduced the likelihood of incurring an injury and the older (p=0.01) the players, the more chances of sustaining injuries. The players who wore shin guards were less prone to shin/leg injuries (p=0.01) and the relative odds were 0.35 (CI 0.16-0.79). The midfielders had more foot and toe injuries (p = 0.05). Starting age (p=0.78), frequency of play (p=0.83) wearing of shoes (p=0.54) and stretching had no influence on injury. Conclusion: The knee and ankle were the main locations of injury with defenders and midfielders mostly being injured. The increased duration of training for both skills and fitness and not wearing shin guards are risk factors for injury in female soccer players in high school.

Thesis (M.S.)--Michigan State University, 2004.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 251-256). Also available online (PDF file) by a subscription to the set or by purchasing the individual file.

Abstract Aim was to investigate the effects of heavy resisted and unresisted sprint training protocols and see its effects on sprint time, vertical and horizontal jumping and sprint mechanics. Youth male soccer players [n=27] participated in this study, they were all individually assessed for the horizontal force-velocity profile using two unresisted sprints and load-velocity profile using four progressively resisted sprints (25%, 50%, 75% and 100% body mass). For all sprints an isotonic braking device was used. They also performed vertical and horizontal jumps, counter-movement jump (CMJ) was used for the former and standing long jump (SLJ) for the latter. They were put in three groups (RST: resisted sprint training; UST: unresisted sprint training and TAU: control group – “training as usual”). Athletes performed a 4-week training intervention (5x20m resisted sprint group; 8x20m unresisted sprint group) and were tested 7 days after completing their final training session. Only RST improved all sprint times (T30, T20, T10, T5) substantially (-4.2% to -7.9% in split times) and provided trivial or small changes in sprint mechanics. The small changes were seen in sprint mechanical parameters of RFmax, Pmax and F0. UST only showed trivial effects in those parameters, while TAU showed a small decrease in both Pmax and Vmax. Regarding the jumps, RST and UST both showed a small increase in standing long jump and a trivial effect in counter-movement jump, while TAU decreased in both. Main conclusion is that resisted sprinting has proven to be a worthwhile method to improve acceleration and sprint performance and can be used by practitioners across a wide array of sports. It also improved jumping performance and sprint mechanical outputs, which point toward an improvement in better application of force in a horizontal direction.

O objetivo do presente estudo foi identificar as variáveis notacionais e variáveis posicionais que se associam ao sucesso das equipas dos três escalões de formação (Sub-16, Sub-17 e Sub-19) em jogos reduzidos de futebol (5+GR vs. 5+GR). A amostra foi constituída por 36 jovens jogadores. Cada escalão foi dividido em duas equipas que jogaram 8 minutos. Para registo dos dados foi desenvolvido um sistema de observação constituído por variáveis notacionais ofensivas (simples e compostas) e defensivas, e por quatro variáveis posicionais coletivas (área de superfície, índice de dispersão, comprimento da equipa e largura da equipa) registadas no ataque e defesa. Os resultados do teste de Mann-Whitney demonstraram as variáveis Número de passes, Número de contatos com a bola, Ritmo de intervenção sobre a bola, Ritmo de transmissão da bola e o Número de passes/Número de jogadores intervenientes variam significativamente em função do sucesso das sequências ofensivas no escalão Sub-16. O teste ANOVA revelou que a variável posicional Comprimento da equipa está relacionada com o sucesso das sequências ofensivas nos três escalões etários. Ficou confirmado que o comportamento das equipas em campo e os fatores que influenciam o sucesso ofensivo e defensivo variam em função da idade e experiência dos praticantes.
The purpose of this study was to identify the notational variables and positional variables associated with the success of the teams of three age groups (U16, U17 and U19) in small-sided games (5 + GK vs. 5 + GK). The sample consisted of 36 young players. Each age group was divided into two teams that played 8 minutes. To record the data, an observation system was developed consisting of offensive (simple and compound) and defensive variables, and four collective positional variables (surface area, stretch index, team length and team width) registered in the attack and defense. The results of the Mann-Whitney test showed that the variables Number of passes, number of touches, rhythm of intervention on the ball, rhythm of transmission of the ball and number of passes / number of players involved vary significantly according on success of the offensive sequences at the U16 age group. The ANOVA test revealed that the positional variable Team length is related to the success of the offensive sequences in the three age groups. It was confirmed that the behaviour of the teams on the field and the factors that influence the offensive and defensive success vary according to the age and experience of the practitioners.

O futebol é atualmente o fenómeno desportivo mais popular do mundo. Trata-se também de um meio que envolve um infindável número de agentes com diferentes áreas de intervenção e consequentemente com diferentes graus de conhecimento e de influência sobre o jogo propriamente dito, elemento verdadeiramente essencial e pelo qual milhões de pessoas se apaixonam. No âmbito do Mestrado em Treino Desportivo, e tendo em consideração a abrangência de funções e responsabilidades que uma equipa técnica tem, o presente relatório visa numa primeira parte apresentar a prática do estagiário enquanto treinador adjunto na equipa técnica dos Juniores B (Sub- 17) do Sport Lisboa e Benfica – Futebol de Formação. Numa segunda área é apresentado um estudo que pretende tirar conclusões sobre o conhecimento declarativo que os jogadores possuem acerca do modelo de jogo da própria equipa. E porque é importante fomentar a curiosidade e o espírito de partilha, que se assumem como pressupostos fundamentais para a evolução do jogo, do treino e do treinador de futebol, na terceira e última área é apresentado um evento de relação com a comunidade – Vetores do Modelo de Jogo. Assim, o presente relatório foi realizado com o propósito último de produzir e aumentar o conhecimento sobre o treino, em permanente relação com o jogo, procurando contribuir de alguma forma para o enriquecimento da área de intervenção do treinador de futebol, tendo por base o paradigma da formação e do desenvolvimento contínuo do jovem jogador, nunca esquecendo, contudo, que este está invariavelmente inserido numa dinâmica coletiva.
Football is currently the most popular sporting phenomenon in the world. It is also an environment that involves an endless number of agents with different areas of intervention and consequently with different degrees of knowledge and influence on the game itself, the truly essential element and which millions of people fall in love for. Under the Master in Sports Training and considering the range of functions and responsibilities that a technical staff has, this report aims firstly to present the trainee's practice as an assistant coach in the technical staff of the Sport Lisbon and Benfica’s Under-17 team. In a second part is presented a study that intends to get some conclusions about the declarative knowledge the players have about the game model of their own team. And because it is necessary to promote curiosity and a spirit of sharing, which are assumed as fundamental presuppositions for the evolution of the game, the training process and the football coach itself, in the third and last part is presented a community relationship event – Vectors of the Game Model. Thus, this report was carried out with the ultimate purpose of producing and increasing knowledge about the training process, in permanent relation with the game, seeking to contribute somehow to the enrichment of the intervention area of the football coach, based on the paradigm of the formation and continuous development of the young players, never forgetting, however, that it is invariably embedded in a collective dynamic.