Differences in the Anthropological Status of Young Football Players in Relation to the Chronological age within one Calendar Year

Abstract

The aim of this research is to determine whether there are statistically significant differences in the anthropological status of young football players in relation to chronological age within one calendar year. The sample consisted of a total of 50 male respondents, Technical School “Mihajlo Pupin” students from the municipality of Indjija. The sample was divided into two subsamples according to chronological age (born by June 30, 2005; born July 1, 2005 and later). The students are also members of the football club in which they train. By examining the morphological characteristics, data were obtained in the following variables: body height, body mass and body mass index. Static and explosive power testing data were obtained in the following variables: standing long jump, bent arm hang and running 30 meters. It was concluded that there are no statistically significant differences between young football players of different chronological ages in anthropological status. No differences were found in the total space of tested and measured variables (MANOVA) nor in the individual space (ANOVA). The research included two anthropological spaces, morphological and motor, and none of them showed differences between young football players of different chronological ages. Out of a total of six measured and tested variables, the only variable that was on the border of the difference between the groups was running 30 meters, which may indicate that different explosive power of the lower extremities between the two tested groups, in this case, in favor of the younger group.

Keywords

• motor skills
• morphological characteristics
• soccer
• comparison
• male gender