Abstract:Each soccer playing position players have unique weight, height, and age requirements. This is because of their roles they perform in each position. The purpose of this study was to describe the U17 male youth soccer players of the Ethiopian premier league clubs weight, height, and age in the league, league zones, and based on players playing positions in the 2015/16 league season. This can help as a bench mark to motivate researchers in doing searches about the players’ weight, height, and age profiles of the youth trainees at grass root level during selection and player development periods. And, this is important to share experience to the respective clubs and competition department in profiling the players’ weight, height, and age starting from grassroots level, as these variables has a significant effect in players’ game performance.
The subjects of this study were 288 (96 defenders, 96 midfielders, and 96 attackers) who had been registered and participated in the mentioned league season. All defender, midfielder, and attacker players who had participated in the league games were considered in this study purposefully. The height of the players was taken using Stadiometer and their weight was taken using digital balance and age was collected directly from the participants via questionnaire since their age was not recorded and documented with evidence in the clubs and in the competition department of the Ethiopian football federation.
The results describe that the weight, height, and age of the U17 male youth soccer players of the players in the league as whole, league zones and based on the players playing positions in the league season. The mean weight of the players in the league was, M= 61.60±1.69. The mean height of the players was, M=1.71±.01and the mean age of the players, M=16.93±.36. As the standard deviation of the scores of the players weight, height, and age indicates; their weight, height, and age was close each other. Defenders, midfielders, and attackers mean weight was, M=61.60±1.69, M=61.34±1.77, M=59.40±2.47 respectively. Defender, midfielder, and attacker players mean height was, M=1.71±.015, M=1.71±.01, M=1.70±.021 correspondingly and their mean age was also, M=16.93±.36, M=16.84±.35, M=17.01±.42 individually in the league season.
The study shows that weight, height, and also age of the defenders, midfielders, and attackers looks that more or less similar weight and height in the tournament season. However, as many scholars agreed, players’ assignment to soccer positions as defender, midfielder, and attacker should consider players weight, height, and age aspects in addition to their technical, physical, tactical, and psychological performances demand each soccer.
Other Journals