Hormonal status, maturation, anthropometry and motor performance in young football players: the advantage of early maturation

< 0.05. In the younger group (11-12 years), significant differences were found in skeletal age, APHV, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, and hormonal levels (DHEA-S, IGF-1). However, no significant differences were observed in motor performance. In contrast, the older group (13-14 years) demonstrated significant maturation-related differences, including sprint performance, agility, and jump tests. Early maturation provides a significant advantage in anthropometric and motor performance, particularly among older players, and should be considered in talent identification and selection processes.