|
Post by Soccerhouse on Aug 28, 2015 8:01:31 GMT -5
www.saintsfc.co.uk//news/article/20150825-southampton-bio-banded-tournament-2646125.aspxSouthampton hosted the world’s first bio-banded tournament at the Staplewood Campus last weekend. Saints were joined by fellow Category 1 academies Stoke City, Reading and Norwich City for the tournament, which saw players competing in teams based on their maturational status and biological age, rather than chronological age. The tournament, the first of its kind, was a huge success and served to highlight the progressive application of sports science in the development of young players at Southampton Football Club. ‘Bio-banding’ allows coaches to work out a child’s biological age and is based around a calculation that predicts a child’s adult height (%PAH).
|
|
|
Post by jash on Aug 28, 2015 8:58:08 GMT -5
Brilliant. At some age groups, even without the age cheating that sometimes happens in youth soccer, the difference between players can be enormous. Early and late puberty mixed together at those young ages can lead to an apparent age difference of 3 or 4 years.
Yes, when they get older they play with people 3-4 years older/younger all the time, but the difference between pre- and post-puberty is the difference between a man and a boy, or a woman and a girl.
|
|
|
Post by letissier on Aug 31, 2015 6:59:06 GMT -5
Southampton is one of the most progressive youth development clubs. It is in their interest to do this. They do not want to spend their time working with kids just because they are the biggest and strongest in their year, only to find that they really aren't the best once all the kids mature.
We do have a big advantage as their aren't other big clubs near by, so Saints catchment area for kids is large.
I just wish we could hang on to some of the kids once they come through to the 1st team rather than selling them all.
|
|