Screening Youth Soccer Players by Means of Cognitive Function and Agility Testing
Nicola Lovecchio, Gianluca Manes, Luca Filipas, Matteo Giuriato, Antonio La Torre, F. Marcello Iaia, Roberto Codella
Abstract
Talent identification in sports is a heavily debated topic. Previous studies have separately explored either executive functions or gross motor skills to predict the success of top-level soccer players or, more generally, to characterize elite performance in soccer. However, at mid-childhood, the possibility to scope sport-specific requirements remains elusive. We aimed in this study to investigate a valid and simple method of testing for a unique combination of cognitive and speed abilities for identifying promising soccer players at mid-childhood. We measured cognitive functions by means of a Stroop smartphone application and agility with a T-Drill Ball-success test, in two groups of (a) elite- ( n = 31) and (b) low-division ( n = 37) Italian 7-year-old male soccer players. We administered the tests in a randomized order to both groups. We found better inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility and soccer-specific agility in high-division versus low-division players ( p < .001). Inhibitory response and agility were positively associated with the augmented quality of the performance from low-division players to high-division players ( r = .55; p = .0001). These results suggest that, even at an early age, cognitive control together with soccer-specific skills is associated with better performance.