Identifying and Developing Talent Among Young Soccer Players

Identifying and developing talent is a key challenge for soccer clubs and national federations. These organizations make considerable efforts to select young soccer players who have the potential to reach a high level of excellence at the senior level, and then to provide them with the support and training necessary for them to develop and showcase their talent. However, this two-pronged approach faces a number of challenging issues:

• Is it really possible to identify talent early on?
• Can recruiters and trainers improve their assessment methods?
• Can we better predict future performance?
• How do soccer skills develop over time?
• Along what trajectories?

To address these questions, the latest scientific data on talent identification and development in soccer will be presented and illustrated with concrete examples from an ongoing collaborative project involving the Royal Dutch Football Association and the University of Groningen. Finally, perspectives on how talent identification and development strategies could be (better) organized will be proposed, drawing on examples of successful practices in the Netherlands.

This event is organized by the Chair of Sports Psychology at the Montpellier University Foundation, with support from Banque Populaire du Sud and the City of Montpellier, as part of the Jean Bilard Days.