Anthropometric Characteristics and Physical Performance of Young Elite Kosovo Soccer Players

The aim of this study was to establish the anthropometric and physical profiles of young soccer players according to their playing position and to determine their relevance for competition success. One hundred and twenty young soccer players participated in the study. Players aged 19 were classified into the following groups: defenders (n=40), midfielders (n=40) and attackers (n=40). The anthropometric variables of participants (height, weight, body mass index, 4 skinfold, 2 diameters, and 2 perimeters) were measured. Also, their somatotype and body composition were calculated. Participants performed Bruce treadmill test protocol and Yo-Yo Intermittent Test to estimate their relative VO(2)max, sprint tests (5 m and 20 m flat), 2 jump tests (countermovement jump and standing long jump test), 3 tests for assessing agility (Illinois with balls and without balls, and 505-test) and seven fitness tests for assessing power, speed, agility, flexibility, frequency, abdominal muscle power and balance. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determinate differences between team positions. On the base of the obtained results, it can be established that players playing in midfield position have less body height, weight, and achieve less results in fitness tests Illinois 20-meter running, leg-tapping, sit-ups in 30 seconds, but better results in the tests 'sit and reach', 'flamingo' and the tests of assessing maximum oxygen consumption compared to the defenders and attackers. The attack players have less values in skinfolds and achieve better results in 5-meter running test and standing long jump compared to the midfielders and defenders. The obtained results can serve as normative morphologic-functional indexes for regular medical control of young footballers in the R. Kosovo. They can also be used as a model of comparison of morphologic-functional data between young footballers of similar levels in different countries.