Soccer Skills: Speed and Direction Changes in Young Players

Speed and the ability to change direction quickly are crucial skills for young soccer players. These skills were put under the microscope in a recent study. The focus was on how quickly players can switch direction and how fast they can sprint. The research involved 71 male soccer players from junior high school. They were tested on their speed over 20 meters and their ability to change direction quickly. The test used was the Pro-Agility Test, which measures how fast players can run in different directions. To understand the results better, the test was broken down into smaller parts. Each part was looked at to see how players speed up and slow down. This was done using a special system that tracks movement without needing markers on the players. The study found that the time it takes to complete the direction change was heavily influenced by how quickly players can speed up and slow down during the test. The time it takes to sprint 20 meters also played a role. The ability to change direction quickly was mostly affected by how well players can slow down and speed up again during the test. The players' physical maturity also had an impact on their performance. Those who were more physically mature tended to do better in the tests. This study shows that for young soccer players, practicing speed and the ability to change direction quickly is very important. It also highlights the need for coaches to consider the physical maturity of their players when training these skills. One interesting thing to note is that the study did not look at female players. It would be great to see similar research done with female soccer players to get a fuller picture of how these skills develop in young athletes.