Review article: From Theory to Practice: The role of Growth, Maturation, and Workload in Injury Risk Mitigation for Young Male Soccer Players
Table of Contents:
“Despite advances in research, many academies struggle to apply scientific insights that align with the practical demands of youth development”
Hylyght brings sports science into practice, and we were thrilled to read this review by Nuno Ribeiro et al (2025) which focuses on how to practically apply the scientific knowledge on growth and maturation in youth soccer. The authors suggest a framework for monitoring growth and maturity in soccer that is structured in three steps:
- Step 1: How, Who, and When to measure
- Step 2: How to report
- Step 3: What to change in the Practice environment
These steps are perfectly in line with the framework and value proposition of the Hylyght platform, as 'Measure – Assess - Guide' are the three key steps through which we deliver value to our customers. With the Growth Tracker, we already offer a practical tool that implements (almost) all recommendations from this scientific review.
How Hylyght supports clubs at each step of the framework proposed by Ribeiro et al. (2025):
Step 1: How, Who, and When to measure
REVIEW: The authors suggest to assess growth and biological maturation every 3-4 months, using standardised tools and trained assessors.
HYLYGHT: Hylyght provides standardised protocols to measure length. Using an automated device, clubs can remove inter-rater variability, and save time writing and copying test results. Height and weight are measured by a connected SECA device or manually and sent directly to the Hylyght platform - speeding up the measurement while maintaining accuracy.
Step 2: How to report
REVIEW: The authors suggest a ‘traffic light system’ that reflects the injury risk based on objective and scientifically grounded parameters. Percentage of Predicted Adult Height (%PAH), maturity status (pre-PHV, circa-PHV, post-PHV), and Growth velocity (cm/year) are proposed as most important metrics to report and visualise.
HYLYGHT: The Growth Tracker of Hylyght offers a tailored results page showing all relevant metrics for growth and maturity, colour coded according to scientific thresholds. Longitudinal data of body height, growth Velocity, weight, and weight velocity can be visualised with a graph. Results can be sorted on each metric so practitioners can quickly see who is growing fast, who is more physically mature, or who has the highest predicted adult height.
Results can be exported to pdf reports so they can be easily shared with coaches and medical staff. These reports summarize results per team according to bio-age (for bio-banding), or for injury risk (for injury prevention). Personalized growth and maturation report cards for players and their parents can be shared directly from the Hylyght platform.
Step 3: What to change in the Practice environment
REVIEW: Based on the injury risk assessment, training/game modifications should be implemented:
- Reduce overall workload
- Modify session intensity
- Reduce mechanical stress
- Emphasize structured rest days and recovery
- Include proprioceptive, balance, and strength training
HYLYGHT: Thanks to the Growth Tracker reports, all stakeholders can easily be informed about the needed modification in training programs. Using the talent development and/or the injury prevention tools of Hylyght, practitioners can then follow-up the physical development of their athletes and tailor training programs to their individual needs.
Learn more about monitoring growth and maturity in youth sports on our knowledge base
Review paper:
About the Author
Dr. Pieter Vansteenkiste is a sports scientist and postdoctoral researcher at Ghent University, specializing in physical education, motor control, and performance data. With a PhD focused on visual information in movement steering, he has authored numerous peer-reviewed scientific papers on sports performance, motor development, analytical methods and talent identification.
Dr. Vansteenkiste’s work bridges academic research and practical sports science, supporting innovative projects like SportKompas and SPOKI. Discover his publications and research via Ghent University and connect on LinkedIn.
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