Psychofunctional correlates of positional roles in youth ice hockey players

Aim. This paper aims to identify psychofunctional parameters characterizing hockey players by position and develop an analytical algorithm to enhance training and competitive performance. Materials and methods. The study involved 102 male hockey players (42 defensemen, 61 forwards) born between 2007 and 2011. A comprehensive analysis of 147 psychofunctional parameters was performed, with a focus on the following domains: morphology, psychological readiness, physical conditioning, cardiovascular status, and neurological/autonomic nervous system function. Analytical methods included exploratory data analysis, one-way ANOVA for between-group comparisons, and Spearman’s correlation analysis. Results. Statistically significant positional differences were observed: defensemen exhibited superior cardiac volumetric parameters, interference reaction time, and self-regulation levels; forwards demonstrated advantages in dynamic attention. Position-specific correlation patterns were identified. In defensemen, cardiac morphofunctional indices directly predicted defensive efficiency, while competitive success correlated with visual-motor reaction speed rather than self-regulation. In forwards, self-regulation was the primary predictor of technical skill consistency. Conclusion. The study’s key contribution is a three-stage analytical algorithm enabling objective player assessment and age-appropriate applications, including youth player position allocation and targeted training modifications for professionals. The protocol addresses root causes of technical/tactical deficiencies through position-specific profiling.