Pedagogical analysis of the performance of soccer players in early adolescence

This study aims to examine the effects of small-sided games specific to football on motor characteristics of children in early adolescence. Fifteen male football players (age: 11.4 +/- 0.5 years, height: 148.7 +/- 8.2 cm, weight: 39.7 +/- 8.7 kg) actively playing football in the Yesil Beyaz Football School in Konya province participated in the study voluntarily. In the study V sit-and-reach flexibility, horizontal and vertical jump, Y balance test and change of direction agility tests were applied before and after small-sided games. Data of before and after tests of athletes participating in the study were tested with Kolmogorov Smirnov. As a result of the statistical analysis conducted, it has been determined that all of the data presented normal distribution (p>0.05). In our study, a statistically significant improvement was found in the final test values for vertical and horizontal jump, sit-and-reach flexibility test and agility test of athletes in small-sided games while a statistically significant development was found in the last balance tests conducted on right and left anterior, posterolateral, posteromedial axes compared to first test values. As a result, it has been observed that small-sided games specific to football increase motor performance of children in early adolescence.