Applied Coaching Research Journal Research Journal Volume 2 | Page 35

APPLIED COACHING RESEARCH JOURNAL 2018, Vol. 2
seeks to illustrate the current environmental,
psychological, sociological, physiological, technical
and tactical youth football development
techniques applied in English academies to support
a greater holistic approach to talent identification
and development.
Methods
Data was collected across one football season within
a male professional football academy (n=98; aged 8
to 16 years). Data collection methods included:
• the participation history questionnaire
• psychological characteristics for developing
excellence questionnaire (PCDEQ)
• socioeconomic postcode data
• physical performance
• anthropometric measures
• relative age
• technical tests
• match analysis statistics
• perceptual-cognitive expertise (PCE)
• match simulations.
is likely that the samples from the populations
are different. Results found 24 significant factors
that differentiated high and low performers
(Figure 1) from 54 collective measures (Kelly,
2018). Subsequently, an interdisciplinary talent
identification concept is presented here using a
locking wheel nut analogy.
The Locking Wheel Nut Model (LWNM)
Locking wheel nuts were originally invented
to prevent alloy wheel theft as a result of an
individualised key required to manipulate its
rel