Abstract
Amateur football is played by millions of individuals worldwide, but it has been scarcely researched (almost no studies have targeted this sport). There seems to be a need to fill this gap, because it has an impact in these individuals’ health status. The aim of our research was to uncover amateur football players’ physical and psychological traits to understand the impact of this sport in their health (physical, mental, and social well-being). Two-hundred footballers (17–40 years) from four regions in Spain (north, central, southwest, southeast), enrolled in 16 different football teams participated. They completed a questionnaire to assess their motives for sport participation, their intention to continue playing football, and their exercise addiction. To objectively measure their physical activity levels, accelerometers were used during practice sessions. Ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were obtained from coaches prior to and after every practice session and players at the end of every practice. Results showed a mean 140.1 moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA)/minutes/week. Players’ RPE scores were similar in the “fairly light” range (6–20 scale) at pre (11.38 ± 1.64) and post training (11.83 ± 1.39), and it was not different between players and coaches (11.50 ± 1.52). Enjoyment was the highest-ranked motive to practice amateur football (6.34 ± 0.67; 1–7 range), followed by fitness (5.68 ± 0.97; 1–7 range), social (4.80 ± 0.85; 1–7 range), and appearance (4.04 ± 1.21; 1–7 range). Players had some symptoms of exercise addiction (21.09 ± 4.53; 1–30 range) and their intentions to continue playing were very high (4.31 ± 1.08; 1–5 range). Moreover, enjoyment was the strongest predictor of these intentions (R2 = 0.260). In conclusion, a weekly amateur football practice almost allows players to meet international MVPA recommendations for health benefits. Enjoyment was their strongest motive to practice, and the players showed some symptoms of exercise addiction. These two variables were the strongest predictors of the participants’ intention to continue playing amateur football. This sport could be considered adequate to help adults maintain an active, healthy lifestyle.
Highlights
According to the World Health Organization (2020) [1], “health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being”
Three football organizations were acknowledged by the authors of [4]: (a) Professional: football is considered a job ruled by professional organizations (National and Regional Federations included in International Federations like Union des Associations Europeenes de Football (UEFA) and Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)), (b) Leisure: football is a hobby ruled by non-profit organizations, and (c) Exercise: football is a means to achieve/maintain health ruled by non-profit organizations
Results from the present study showed that amateur football training can produce considerable amounts of vigorous and very vigorous intensity, which makes this physical activity beneficial for the individuals’ health
Summary
According to the World Health Organization (2020) [1], “health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being”. It has the ingredients of professional football (i.e., professional organizations rule the sport, official divisions, long-lasting leagues, demanding training schedules), but players do not earn any money It cannot be considered leisure/recreational or exercise/fitness football, because the outcomes of the games are important, regular practice is compulsory to get ready for weekend matches, and it is not considered a hobby. The effects of this type of physical activity practice on the players’ health or the motives that lead thousands of individuals to play this sport have not been investigated, probably because it is lacks the popularity of professional football, the social image of leisure/recreational football, and the drive/marketing of new proposals like exercise/fitness/street football/soccer. Why do individuals who competed in earlier stages of their football career continue in amateur football with all the demands of professional football (i.e., pressure to win, injuries, time away from the family), but not the benefits (i.e., money, fame)?
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