Etimation of potentials among young athletes

Overview & Synopsis

Sports among young individuals are a fundamental aspect of their physical, mental, and social development. It provides the opportunity to engage in physical activities, cultivate motor skills, build friendships, and inquire values such as discipline, perseverance, and fair play. Moreover, sports contribute to promote a healthy and active lifestyle from an early age, which can have positive long-term implications for health. However, youth sports also come with their set of challenges, including competition pressure, early specialization, and issues related to selection and inclusion. Therefore, it is essential to understand the various aspects of youth sports, consider the individual needs and aspirations of young athletes, and promote a balanced approach that encourages both sports performance and the overall well-being of young individuals. This thesis work revolves around age factors that develop and maximize the potential of young athletes while considering their performance uniqueness in a same-age category. Initially, despite athletes being grouped by age categories to ensure greater fairness, performance differences persist in swimming and athletics for all age categories between 10 and 16 years, both in girls and boys. However, it is possible to rebalance the performances for a better evaluation in relation to the athlete's age category. Nevertheless, disparities don't only exist in terms of performance. When considering dropouts among young swimmers, they are more likely to be affected by dropouts than their relatively older counterparts. We also examine the influence of gender and performance on youth athlete dropout rates. Girls tend to exit sports programs earlier and more frequently than boys, with dropout rates rising as performance levels decline. Furthermore, we highlight the role of maturity status in evaluating youth swimmers' performance. Swimmers who participate in more events and demonstrate greater maturity tend to outperform their peers with lower performance levels. Lastly, we analyze conversion rates from junior to senior categories in swimming. Succeeding in competitive swimming during youth does not necessarily guarantee future success. A better consideration of these factors would help reduce the impacts on dropout and conversion rates, ultimately leading to a more accurate estimation of an individual's sports potential