Longitudinal analysis of physical abilities and fundamental skills among the Real Madrid Foundation UNY football players

Abstract

Background and Study Aim. Physical abilities and fundamental skills are essential characteristics of football players requiring in-depth analysis, but the results of previous short-term investigations lack a comprehensive overview. Therefore, this study aimed to conduct a longitudinal analysis of physical abilities and fundamental skills development, as well as the simultaneous development of both among young football players. Material and Method. This quantitative longitudinal descriptive study recruited 31 male football players aged 13-15 as participants with weights of approximately 47-60 kg and heights ranging from 146-164 cm. In addition, the instruments used to assess physical abilities included sit and reach, 30-meter sprint, vertical jump, MFT, arrowhead, as well as ball catching and throwing, while dribbling, passing, and receiving were applied for fundamental skills. Collected data were subjected to the Wilcoxon test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Post Hoc analysis performed using SPSS 23. Result. Wilcoxon test results showed that significance levels of 0.000-0.024 < 0.05 were obtained for physical abilities including flexibility, coordination, speed, power, agility, and endurance, while 0.000 < 0.05 was obtained for fundamental skills comprising shooting, dribbling, receiving, and passing. Kruskal-Wallis test results showed a significance level of 0.000 < 0.05 for both characteristics. Conclusion. The first and second-semester tests conducted for physical abilities and fundamental skills yielded significantly different results. Additionally, a simultaneous difference was observed between the physical abilities and fundamental skills explored. The second-semester tests particularly showed better results for both sets of characteristics examined among the Real Madrid Foundation UNY football players.