Interdependent Development of Physical and Cognitive Skills in U12 Soccer Players: Sprinting, Agility, and Decision-Making Are Interconnected
Background: Change of direction (COD) and sprint abilities are essential in soccer, while reactive agility involves decision-making and perceptual/cognitive skills. This study aimed to examine the relationships between sprint speed, COD, and reactive agility in U12 soccer players. Methods: Thirty-th...
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2025-06-01
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| author | Mohamed Amine Ltifi Ghaith Ben-Bouzaiene Nicola Luigi Bragazzi Ridha Aouadi |
| author_facet | Mohamed Amine Ltifi Ghaith Ben-Bouzaiene Nicola Luigi Bragazzi Ridha Aouadi |
| author_sort | Mohamed Amine Ltifi |
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| description | Background: Change of direction (COD) and sprint abilities are essential in soccer, while reactive agility involves decision-making and perceptual/cognitive skills. This study aimed to examine the relationships between sprint speed, COD, and reactive agility in U12 soccer players. Methods: Thirty-three male players (age 10.40 ± 0.32 years) completed sprint tests (5 m, 10 m, 15 m), the Modified Agility T-Test (MAT), and the Y-Shaped Reactive Agility (Y-RSA) test, across two sessions. Results: The sprint, COD, and reactive agility tests showed high reliability. The Y-RSA test demonstrated strong reliability in regard to the initial sprint, COD-phase time, and total time. Significant correlations were found between sprint, COD, and reactive agility metrics. The sprint times were positively associated with the MAT and reactive agility times (e.g., sprint 15 m vs. total Y-RSA time: r = 0.740, <i>p</i> < 0.01). The smallest worthwhile changes (SWCs) indicated that these tests effectively detect performance improvements. Conclusions: This study demonstrated significant correlations between sprint speed, change of direction, and reactive agility in U12 soccer players, with the 15 m sprint showing the strongest association with reactive agility. These findings support the combined use of physical and perceptual/cognitive assessments to better inform soccer-specific training and evaluate the performance of youth players. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-89bd24c4f5134dcdbed524eb6e99031e |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| spelling | doaj-art-89bd24c4f5134dcdbed524eb6e99031e2025-08-20T02:35:43ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-06-011513738010.3390/app15137380Interdependent Development of Physical and Cognitive Skills in U12 Soccer Players: Sprinting, Agility, and Decision-Making Are InterconnectedMohamed Amine Ltifi0Ghaith Ben-Bouzaiene1Nicola Luigi Bragazzi2Ridha Aouadi3Research Laboratory (LR23JS01) «Sport Performance, Health & Society», Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar Saîd, Manouba University, Manouba 2010, TunisiaResearch Laboratory (LR23JS01) «Sport Performance, Health & Society», Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar Saîd, Manouba University, Manouba 2010, TunisiaLaboratory for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (LIAM), Department of Mathematics and Statistics, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, CanadaResearch Laboratory (LR23JS01) «Sport Performance, Health & Society», Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar Saîd, Manouba University, Manouba 2010, TunisiaBackground: Change of direction (COD) and sprint abilities are essential in soccer, while reactive agility involves decision-making and perceptual/cognitive skills. This study aimed to examine the relationships between sprint speed, COD, and reactive agility in U12 soccer players. Methods: Thirty-three male players (age 10.40 ± 0.32 years) completed sprint tests (5 m, 10 m, 15 m), the Modified Agility T-Test (MAT), and the Y-Shaped Reactive Agility (Y-RSA) test, across two sessions. Results: The sprint, COD, and reactive agility tests showed high reliability. The Y-RSA test demonstrated strong reliability in regard to the initial sprint, COD-phase time, and total time. Significant correlations were found between sprint, COD, and reactive agility metrics. The sprint times were positively associated with the MAT and reactive agility times (e.g., sprint 15 m vs. total Y-RSA time: r = 0.740, <i>p</i> < 0.01). The smallest worthwhile changes (SWCs) indicated that these tests effectively detect performance improvements. Conclusions: This study demonstrated significant correlations between sprint speed, change of direction, and reactive agility in U12 soccer players, with the 15 m sprint showing the strongest association with reactive agility. These findings support the combined use of physical and perceptual/cognitive assessments to better inform soccer-specific training and evaluate the performance of youth players.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/13/7380correlationperformance assessmentlinear sprintchange of directionperformance assessmentvisual stimulus |
| spellingShingle | Mohamed Amine Ltifi Ghaith Ben-Bouzaiene Nicola Luigi Bragazzi Ridha Aouadi Interdependent Development of Physical and Cognitive Skills in U12 Soccer Players: Sprinting, Agility, and Decision-Making Are Interconnected Applied Sciences correlation performance assessment linear sprint change of direction performance assessment visual stimulus |
| title | Interdependent Development of Physical and Cognitive Skills in U12 Soccer Players: Sprinting, Agility, and Decision-Making Are Interconnected |
| title_full | Interdependent Development of Physical and Cognitive Skills in U12 Soccer Players: Sprinting, Agility, and Decision-Making Are Interconnected |
| title_fullStr | Interdependent Development of Physical and Cognitive Skills in U12 Soccer Players: Sprinting, Agility, and Decision-Making Are Interconnected |
| title_full_unstemmed | Interdependent Development of Physical and Cognitive Skills in U12 Soccer Players: Sprinting, Agility, and Decision-Making Are Interconnected |
| title_short | Interdependent Development of Physical and Cognitive Skills in U12 Soccer Players: Sprinting, Agility, and Decision-Making Are Interconnected |
| title_sort | interdependent development of physical and cognitive skills in u12 soccer players sprinting agility and decision making are interconnected |
| topic | correlation performance assessment linear sprint change of direction performance assessment visual stimulus |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/13/7380 |
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