How do college coaches in the United States identify youth female and male soccer players?

ABSTRACT: Talent identification (TI) in soccer is a complex and multifactorial process within the context of collegiate sport in the United States, where coaches must assess performance-ready athletes often under strict regulatory and resource constraints. Despite the critical role college coaches play in bridging youth to professional soccer, little is known about their evaluative priorities during recruitment. This study examined how soccer coaches from female and male NCAA Division I and II programs perceived the importance of various player attributes and scouting methods in the TI process. A total of 178 college soccer coaches completed a survey assessing perceptions across seven attribute categories (technical, physical, psychological, game intelligence, social, other, and coach-specific) and

SUBMITTER: Andrew M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12431234 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature