Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 20 credits / 30 HE credits
Aim
The aim of this study was to investigate how football academies work with talent identification and especially in regard to different physiological tests and if they are used in the work of talent identification. The main research questions were:
• How are youth players identified and selected into the football academy?
• What purpose does physiological tests have in regard to identification and selection?
• Are different biases considered, for example Relative Age Effect, when identifying and selecting players?
Method
In order to adequately answer the purpose and questions, a qualitative method with semi-structured interviews has been applied. Eight representatives from Swedish football academies participated in the study. The results from the interviews were analysed utilizing a thematic analysis.
Results
The results of the study show that football academies mainly use coaches' subjective assessments to both identify and select young players. Physiological tests have no significance for academies for talent identification or selection purposes, but are mainly used for rehabilitation and the design of requirement profiles. The majority of the participating football academies do not consider various types of biases such as relative age effect, in the context of talent identification and selection.
Conclusions
The conclusion of this study is that football academies do not use tests in relation to talent identification and that they currently exclusively rely on coaches' subjective assessments. Academies should apply a multidimensional approach to talent identification and need to consider placing greater emphasis on finding early predictors.
2022.