Peak Performance Age of Professional Female Soccer Players
Date
5-23-2024
Document Type
Non Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Kinesiology
First Advisor
Ryan Hubbard
Abstract
Professional soccer teams are the most successful when players, coaches, and managers have the best up-to-date knowledge of each player’s skills and abilities now and likely in the future. One key to this is knowing when in their career a player would be expected to perform at their best. A review of the previous literature showed that male footballers have been studied far more than their female counterparts, with player ratings created, and both physical and technical abilities were measured and more. Women’s soccer studies centered primarily around young adolescent players or peak performance physically, rather than a player’s technical ability. This research looked to close the gap by discovering the age of peak performance of female professional soccer players based on game performance. This study collected data from players within the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and evaluated several key performance statistics during each of their playing years within the league. For each player that played at least 4 years in the NWSL, they receive a ranking for each measured statistic, 1 for the best year they had in that category with increasing numbers up to their worst year. An average of all rankings in one year was determined and each player’s peak performance year was the one with the lowest average ranking. Hypothetical results are discussed.