Effect of Different Core Exercises Applied During the Season on Strength and Technical Skills of Young Footballers

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of two different types of core training applied during the season on the strength performance and football technical skills of young footballers. A total of 18 footballers average age was 15±0.8years voluntarily participated in the study. Two different core trainings were applied in addition to football technical skills. Before and after the study, the sit-up, standing long jump, push-up, dribbling, passing and shooting performances of players were observed. Data were assessed with the SPSS. In the dynamic group there were statistically significant improvements in all variables apart from shooting and passing, while the static group had statistically significant development of all variables apart from shooting. The control group only had statistically significant development for sit-up performance. While development sufficient to form significant differences between the variables observed in the experimental groups was not observed, there were significant differences for all variables when compared with the control group apart from shooting performance. In conclusion, footballers with eight-week dynamic and static core training added to in-season football training had similar levels of development in terms of strength and football technical skills, with significant development of strength, dribbling and passing skills when compared to a group without core training. In light of this data, eight-week dynamic and static strength training applied to footballers in the development period may be said to be an effective method to develop abdominal muscle strength and explosive strength performance and to develop dribbling and passing skills unique to football.