Abstract
Soccer academies are challenged with uncovering and developing talented players for the future. Player identification, selection, and the ongoing reselection (typically concluding the season for the Under 10 (U10), Under 12 (U12), Under 14 (U14) & Under 16 (U16) age groups) traditionally entail the utilisation of objective (technical/tactical, physical, psychological and social abilities) and subject (coach intuition) assessments perceived as important for subsequent success. Therefore, this thesis aims to understand the current practice applied in player selection within academy soccer, how perceived essential attributes are identified, the extent to which such attributes are capable in distinguishing player (de)selection, and whether coach beliefs and actions towards player selection align.The research in this thesis utilised a mixed-method approach, employing methodical triangulation to enhance trustworthiness of the data. The initial study (study 1) employed an ethnographic approach to understand the current processes employed for player selection within soccer. The second study involved a deeper understanding of what coaches perceive as important attributes for selection. The outcomes of study 2 informed the methodical triangulation of studies 3 and 4. In both studies, hypothetical scenarios of selection were applied in order to distinguish (de)selection discriminators through both quantitative (study 3) and qualitative (study 4) designs. This approach allowed for a greater depth and richness of data to be attained.
The prominence of coach intuition was established within the process of monitoring and selecting players. Coaches perceived a need for players requiring a multidisciplinary skillset, placing high importance on psychological skills throughout. However, psychological provisions appear to be lacking within many academy infrastructures, hindering such developments. The findings further acknowledge the concept of interdependent attributes, whereby several attributes govern unique actions. Conversely, the thesis highlights the influence of maturation when interpreting physical abilities.
However, several downfalls were observed within the utility of intuition. Differing levels of agreement between coaches and key stakeholders were evident throughout. Of note, between-coach agreement decreased as group age increased. When investigating the level of agreement in player (de)selection between assistant and lead coaches, Cohens Kappa established almost perfect agreement (κ = 1.00, P <.001) in the foundation development phase (FDP)(U9-U11), substantial agreement (κ = 0.63, P = .02) in the Early Youth Development Phase (YDP1)(U12-U13) and fair agreement (κ = 0.23, P = .26) in the Late Youth Development Phase (YDP2)(U13-U16). Likewise, a lack of alignment was observed in the coach's beliefs of player requirements and rationales for player selections. Intraclass correlations identified poor to moderate variations in agreement between assistant and lead coaches (FDP = 0.60 to 0.73, YDP1 = 0.50 to 0.76, YDP2 = 0.48 to 0.74) in their perceptions of player abilities across domains (technical/tactical, psychological and physical). Furthermore, various biases were acknowledged, such as the potential for confirmative bias, maturity and age-related bias, and favouritism. Maturity, in particular, demonstrated a significant difference (P <0.05) in percentage of predicted adult height (a surrogate measure for maturity status), between selected players Mean = 96.3 ± 1.4) and deselected players (Mean = 92.5 ± 0.5), highlighting a bias towards more mature players. Additionally, coach perceptions of abilities differed from objective assessment measures.
In summary, coach intuition is a highly prominent process used in academy soccer within player selection and development processes. Yet, key findings of this thesis found intuition to be fraught with limitations, challenging the reliability of its utility in isolation. However, intuition offers critical insights into player abilities, outside the capacity of current objective assessments. Therefore, the combined approach of objective and subjective inputs may overcome the stated downfalls and increase the accuracy and sensitivity of player selection. Furthermore, future research should seek to understand the contribution of grouped attributes, and how they govern performance outcomes.
Date of Award | Sept 2022 |
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Original language | English |
Awarding Institution |
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Supervisor | Neil Clarke (Supervisor), Mark Noon (Supervisor), Rhys Morris (Supervisor) & Peter Mundy (Supervisor) |