Laterality Related to the Successive Selection of Dutch National Youth Soccer Players Verbeek, Jan; Elferink-Gemser, Marije T.; Jonker, Laura; Huijgen, Barbara C
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University of Groningen Laterality related to the successive selection of Dutch national youth soccer players Verbeek, Jan; Elferink-Gemser, Marije T.; Jonker, Laura; Huijgen, Barbara C. H.; Visscher, Chris Published in: Journal of Sports Sciences DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2016.1262544 IMPORTANT NOTE: You are advised to consult the publisher's version (publisher's PDF) if you wish to cite from it. Please check the document version below. Document Version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Publication date: 2017 Link to publication in University of Groningen/UMCG research database Citation for published version (APA): Verbeek, J., Elferink-Gemser, M. T., Jonker, L., Huijgen, B. C. H., & Visscher, C. (2017). Laterality related to the successive selection of Dutch national youth soccer players. Journal of Sports Sciences, 35(22), 2220-2224. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2016.1262544 Copyright Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons). The publication may also be distributed here under the terms of Article 25fa of the Dutch Copyright Act, indicated by the “Taverne” license. More information can be found on the University of Groningen website: https://www.rug.nl/library/open-access/self-archiving-pure/taverne- amendment. Take-down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Downloaded from the University of Groningen/UMCG research database (Pure): http://www.rug.nl/research/portal. For technical reasons the number of authors shown on this cover page is limited to 10 maximum. Download date: 29-09-2021 Journal of Sports Sciences ISSN: 0264-0414 (Print) 1466-447X (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rjsp20 Laterality related to the successive selection of Dutch national youth soccer players Jan Verbeek, Marije T. Elferink-Gemser, Laura Jonker, Barbara C. H. Huijgen & Chris Visscher To cite this article: Jan Verbeek, Marije T. Elferink-Gemser, Laura Jonker, Barbara C. H. Huijgen & Chris Visscher (2017) Laterality related to the successive selection of Dutch national youth soccer players, Journal of Sports Sciences, 35:22, 2220-2224, DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2016.1262544 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2016.1262544 © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group Published online: 06 Jan 2017. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 376 View related articles View Crossmark data Citing articles: 1 View citing articles Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=rjsp20 Download by: [University of Groningen] Date: 02 November 2017, At: 09:28 JOURNAL OF SPORTS SCIENCES, 2017 VOL. 35, NO. 22, 2220–2224 https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2016.1262544 Laterality related to the successive selection of Dutch national youth soccer players Jan Verbeeka, Marije T. Elferink-Gemserb, Laura Jonkera,b, Barbara C. H. Huijgenb and Chris Visscherb aResearch & Intelligence, Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB), Zeist, The Netherlands; bCenter for Human Movement Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY In the general population, estimates of left-foot preference are around 20%. In soccer, specific tasks create Accepted 10 November positional demands, requiring 40% of the players to be left-footed. Whether and how this is related to the 2016 selection of players is unknown. To examine the successive selection of soccer players for Dutch national KEYWORDS youth teams in relation to foot preference, 280 youth players (age = 16.2 ± 1.08 years) were monitored from Laterality; soccer; left-footed; the U16 through the U19 teams over the last 5 years. No difference in successive selection between left- and right-footed; talent right-footed players was found (p < 0.05). Regardless of foot preference, more than 50% of the selected development players were deselected out of a national youth team after 2 years. On average, 31% of the national youth players were left-footed, which is higher than expected, based on population estimates (χ2 (1) = 37.49, p < 0.001, w = 0.27). However, there was an under-representation of left-footed players, based on expected positional demands (i.e., attack, midfield, defence) (χ2 (1) = 16.83, p < 0.001, w = 0.18). The conclusion is that left-foot preference increases the probability of selection in Dutch national youth soccer teams. Introduction skilled with both feet (i.e., two-footedness) is an advantage in In the general population, estimates of left-hand and/or soccer and a prerequisite for soccer expertise (Grouios, Kollias, -foot preference are around 20% (Carey et al., 2001; Koidou, & Poderi, 2002). Research into the foot preference and Gabbard & Iteya, 1996). Assuming that talent is equally skill of players from the 1998 World Cup showed that the players present in either right- or left-handed and/or -footed were on average equally skilled with both feet, although they still players, these estimates should be reflected in sport selec- were biased to using the preferred foot. This was most apparent tionteamsaswell.However,inseveralsports(e.g.,tennisor not only during set pieces but also during dribbles, passes and handball) (Baker et al., 2013; Hagemann, 2009), significant touches (Carey et al., 2001). In soccer, there are several positions overrepresentation of left-handed athletes is reported at which require specific demands that are suitable for either left- high levels of performance, with higher numbers than footed or right-footed players (e.g., left backs and right backs). wouldbeexpectedbasedontheprevalenceofleft-handed- This is reflected, for instance, in the selection criteria applied in ness in the normal population. Two explanations have been the prestigious soccer developmental programme of AFC Ajax, put forward for the overrepresentation of left-handed ath- where every team of the Ajax development programme should letes in elite sports (Grouios, 2004). One explanation is that have at least 4 left-footed field players in their selection, resulting left-handers have a neuropsychological advantage (Mikheev, Downloaded by [University of Groningen] at 09:28 02 November 2017 in a percentage of 40% within a 4-3-3 playing formation (e.g., left Mohr,Afanasiev,Landis,&Thut,2002). The other explana- centre back, left fullback, left midfielder, left winger) (Kleine, tion assumes that left-handers have a tactical advantage, 2007, January). This idea has been widely acknowledged within based on unfamiliarity (Faurie & Raymond, 2005). Since the national Dutch developmental system, which serves as an athletes are less used to playing against left-handers, they example for many professional soccer clubs (CIES Football have more difficulty in anticipating future moves. Up to Observatory, 2014). now, no such observations have been reported in relation For a talented youth soccer player, it is important to be to foot preference. Nevertheless, it seems that laterality (i.e., selected for a developmental programme of a premier lea- left- or right-handedness or -footedness) could influence the gue club in order to increase the chance of becoming a development of sport expertise. professional soccer player (Vaeyens et al., 2006). The general Left-footed soccer players have often been perceived as a aim of these developmental programmes is to identify valuable commodity throughout soccer history. Recent research talented young people and successfully develop them into has shown that left-foot preference could increase unpredict- senior professional players (Williams & Reilly, 2000). In addi- ability and creativity due to inverted brain hemisphere function- tion to these regular developmental programmes, the ing, providing these players with a genetic head start (Brandler national football association selects players for international et al., 2013). Moreover, it is often assumed that being equally competitions. The best players of the developmental CONTACT Barbara C. H. Huijgen [email protected] Center for Human Movement Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, A. Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way. JOURNAL OF SPORTS SCIENCES 2221 programmes in premier league clubs are selected for Procedure national youth teams, ranging in the Netherlands from the Players admitted and deselected for national youth teams U15s to U21s (KNVB, 2015). The rationale upon which were considered. The annual new admissions and deselections players are successively selected is mainly based on the were identified for the U16s (cohort 2010–2011 and opinion and experience of soccer scouts, trainers and coa- 2011–2012), the U17s (cohort 2010–2011,