Fifteenth International Conference on Sport & Society

Abstract

It will be useful to consider different literature over the last 10 years since the EPPP (Elite Player Performance Plan) has been introduced which reflects the work being done by the Premier League developing young players in academy environments. The need to focus on psychological skills in academy environments, particularly in the areas of confidence and decision-making to cope under pressure across different small-sided game formats will be emphasised. Research suggests that more could be done by academies to support the young players’ psychological welfare. This review acts as a platform to focus more heavily on the psychological side, as it has been indicated that lots of research has been done around SSG’s across technical, tactical, and physical outcomes but not the psychological. SSG’s are games that are adapted versions of the full-sided football game, which can be (1v1s, 2v2s 3v3s, 4v4s etc…) upto 9v9, which links to larger sided games. The importance of this research is to highlight the differences between the smaller game formats as there are key differences in confidence levels and decision-making across the academy age groups (9-11) Foundations Phase which can affect players’ ability to cope under pressure. It’s important to note that academies across the country in England differentiate game formats for under 12’s, as this is a key age group that begins to link 9v9 into 11v11 (full-sided games). This could impact training load, dependent on the format of the SSG, which in turn could impact confidence and decision-making differently.