The effects of proprioceptive exercise training on physical fitness and performance of soccer skills in young soccer players

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of proprioceptive exercise training on soccer skills and physical fitness in young soccer players. Nineteen young soccer players participated in the study. Participants were divided into proprioceptive exercises training (PT) and control (Cont) groups. The physical fitness and soccer skill performance test assessed at pre- and posttraining. Balance ability and power significantly improved in both groups after 8 weeks of training (P< 0.05). Dribble in the PT group was similar between pre- and posttraining, with a statistically significant difference in the Cont group (P< 0.05). There were no significant differences within and between groups according to training in the left and right feet for juggling. The PT and Cont groups did not differ significantly regarding short passes posttraining. However, a significant improvement in long passes was observed in the PT group after training period (P< 0.05). Shooting was no different between and within the groups. In conclusion, these inconsistent findings are thought to be due to the applied exercise method, training duration, and the specificity of the physical growth period of the young players. There- fore, it is necessary to increase the frequency and time of propriocep- tive exercise training and apply factors for cognitive ability improvement to training programs for young soccer players in future studies. These studies could suggest appropriate training methods necessary to im- prove the performance of young soccer players.