The Effect of a Balance Training Program on the Balance and Technical Skills of Adolescent Soccer Players

Abstract

Soccer is a complex sport, and balance appears to play a crucial role in the quality execution of technical skills, which are mostly performed while standing on one foot. Nevertheless, in younger ages, when learning still affects soccer performance, the effect of a balance-training program on the player's balance and technical skills remains unexplored. This research examined the effect of a balance-training program (BTP) on balance and technical skills of adolescent soccer players. Τhe participating volunteers were thirty-two soccer players (12-13 years old with 3.84 ± 0.95 years of practice), randomly separated into two groups: an experimental (EXP, n1 = 17) and a control group (CON, n2 = 15). Both groups were evaluated in static and dynamic balance and in technical skills (dribbling, passing, juggling, and shooting with dominant and non-dominant legs) before (Pre-condition) and after the intervention (Post-condition) which was an eight-week BTP for the EXP group and a placebo-training program for the CON group. Α 2 by 2 (groups×condition) mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures on the condition factor was used to assess possible differences between groups. A significant groups × condition interaction effect was found in dynamic balance (p = 0.008), static (p = 0.042), and shooting (p = 0.022) with dominant leg performance. The EXP group improved (p = 0.007) its static balance by 37.82% and also significantly improved its dynamic balance and shooting accuracy with dominant leg in Post condition by 24.98% (p = 0.006) and 83.84% (p = 0.006) respectively. No significant improvement of other variables was detected in the EXP group Post condition. Dynamic and static balance, and shooting with dominant leg skills can be improved in adolescent soccer players through a specialized 8-week BTP. Balance-training program may contribute to technical skill improvement in soccer training.

Keywords: Soccer technique; adolescence; dominant leg; performance; proprioception; steadiness.

Figure 1.

Passing test (Rösch et al., 2000). The participant dribbled the ball toward the goal. On reaching the edge of the shooting line, the participant passed toward the goal.

Figure 2.

Shooting test (Rösch et al., 2000). The participant had to shoot the ball from 16 meters from the center of the goal, aiming alternately at the right and left upper segments of the goal.

Figure 3.

Dribbling test (Forsman et al., 2016). Twenty meters of running with the ball in a figure-of-eight fashion around cones placed 2-4 meters apart. The participant should make at least three contacts with the ball until it reaches the last pole.

Figure 4.

Effects of intervention (Bekris and Gioldasis, 2016). In the first test (Jug1), the participant controls the ball in the air in a limited space and for a limited time (30 s), while the second test (Jug2) evaluates the same skill as the participant moves with directional changes on a predetermined route.

Figure 5.

Effects of intervention (across time) on shooting accuracy and static and dynamic balance with the dominant leg in the EXP and CON groups. Data are presented as means. Abbreviations: CON, control group; EXP, experimental group; Pre, condition prior to the balance-training program; Post, condition after the balance-training program.

Supplement Figure 1.

Experimental design of the present study. BTP, balance-training program; CON, control group; EXP, experimental group; PTP, placebo-training program.