How does coach encouragement affect soccer test performance?

Year 2023, Volume: 9 Issue: 4, 259 - 265, 30.12.2023

Yusuf Soylu , Erşan Arslan , Osman Yılmaz , Bülent Kilit

https://doi.org/10.31459/turkjkin.1336726

Cited By: 1

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of positive and negative coach encouragement (CE) on young soccer players' physical test performance and technical abilities. A single-blind, time-parallel experimental research model was developed. Nineteen young soccer players (age = 16.95 ± 0.78 years) voluntarily participated in the study. This study was conducted in two stages. In the first part, soccer players were subjected to different tests to determine their speed, agility, jumping, balance, and aerobic fitness level without any encouragement from the coach. These tests were performed with the CE in the second part. According to the study findings, positive CE was more effective than negative CE on the aerobic fitness level, sprint, jump, and zig-zag without ball test performances (p<0.05). The results of this study emphasize the significance of verbal CE in enhancing the physical and technical capabilities of young soccer players. By providing positive and motivating feedback, coaches can positively impact players' performance and contribute to their overall development and success in sports.

Keywords

Coach, feedback, performance, positive feedback, verbal encouragement

References

• Andreacci, J. L., Lemura, L. M., Cohen, S. L., Urbansky, E. A., Chelland, S. A., & Duvillard, S. P. von. (2002). The effects of frequency of encouragement on performance during maximal exercise testing. J Sports Sci, 20(4), 345–352.
• Arslan, E., Kilit, B., Clemente, F. M., Murawska-Ciałowicz, E., Soylu, Y., Sogut, M., Akca, F., Gokkaya, M., & Silva, A. F. (2022). Effects of small-sided games training versus high-intensity interval training approaches in young basketball players. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 19(5), 2931.
• Bangsbo, J., Iaia, F. M., & Krustrup, P. (2008). The yo-yo intermittent recovery test. Sports Med, 38(1), 37–51. Belkhiria, C., De Marco, G., & Driss, T. (2018). Effects of verbal encouragement on force and electromyographic activations during exercise. J Sports Med Phys Fitness, 58(5), 750-757.
• Brandes, M., & Elvers, S. (2017). Elite youth soccer players’ physiological responses, time-motion characteristics, and game performance in 4 vs. 4 small-sided games: the influence of coach feedback. J Strength Cond Res, 31(10), 2652–2658.
• Correia, V., Carvalho, J., Araújo, D., Pereira, E., & Davids, K. (2019). Principles of nonlinear pedagogy in sport practice. Phys Educ Sport Pedagogy, 24(2), 117–132.
• Cushion, C., Harvey, S., Muir, B., & Nelson, L. (2012). Developing the coach analysis and intervention system (cais): establishing validity and reliability of a computerised systematic observation instrument. J Sports Sci, 30(2), 201–216.
• Díaz-García, J., Pulido, J. J., Ponce-Bordón, J. C., Cano-Prado, C., López-Gajardo, M. Á., & García-Calvo, T. (2021a). Coach encouragement during soccer practices can influence players’ mental and physical loads. J Hum Kinet, 79(1), 277–288.
• Díaz-García, J., Pulido, J., Ponce-Bordón, J., Cano-Prado, C., López-Gajardo, M., & García-Calvo, T. (2021b). Coach encouragement during soccer practices can influence players’ mental and physical loads. J Hum Kinet, 79(1), 277–288.
• Edwards, A. M., Dutton-Challis, L., Cottrell, D., Guy, J. H., & Hettinga, F. J. (2018). Impact of active and passive social facilitation on self-paced endurance and sprint exercise: encouragement augments performance and motivation to exercise. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med, 4(1), e000368.
• Hammami, M. A., Guerchi, M., Selmi, O., Sehli, F., Ghouili, H., Stângaciu, O. A., Marinău, M. A., Galeru, O., & Alexe, D. I. (2023). Effect of verbal encouragement on physical fitness, technical skill and physiological response during small-sided soccer games. Sustainability, 15(4), 3624.
• Hammami, R., Nebigh, A., Selmi, M. A., Rebai, H., Versic, S., Drid, P., Jezdimirovic, T., & Sekulic, D. (2021). Acute effects of verbal encouragement and listening to preferred music on maximal repeated change-of-direction performance in adolescent elite basketball players—preliminary report. Appl Sci, 11(18), 8625.
• Hopkins, W. G., Marshall, S. W., Batterham, A. M., & Hanin, J. (2009). Progressive statistics for studies in sports medicine and exercise science. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 41(1), 3–13.
• Kilit, B., Arslan, E., Akca, F., Aras, D., Soylu, Y., Clemente, F. M., Nikolaidis, P. T., Rosemann, T., & Knechtle, B. (2019). Effect of coach encouragement on the psychophysiological and performance responses of young tennis players. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 16(18).
• Lee, H., Shin, J., Kim, D., & Park, J. (2021). Effect of verbal encouragement on quadriceps and knee joint function during three sets of knee extension exercise. Isokinet Exerc Sci, 29(2), 155–162.
• Little, T., & Williams, A. G. (2005). Specificity of acceleration, maximum speed, and agility in professional soccer players. J Strength Cond Res, 19(1), 76-78.
• Marcora, S. M. (2008). Do we really need a central governor to explain brain regulation of exercise performance? Eur J Appl Physiol, 104(5), 929–931.
• Martín-Loeches, M., Sel, A., Casado, P., Jiménez, L., & Castellanos, L. (2009). Encouraging expressions affect the brain and alter visual attention. PLoS ONE, 4(6), e5920.
• Midgley, A. W., Marchant, D. C., & Levy, A. R. (2018). A call to action towards an evidence-based approach to using verbal encouragement during maximal exercise testing. Clin Physiol Funct Imaging, 38(4), 547–553.
• Mirkov, D., Nedeljkovic, A., Kukolj, M., Ugarkovic, D., & Jaric, S. (2008). Evaluation of the reliability of soccer-specific field tests. J Strength Cond Res, 22(4), 1046–1050.
• Pacholek, M., & Zemková, E. (2022). Effects of verbal encouragement and performance feedback on physical fitness in young adults. Sustainability, 14(3), 1753.
• Partington, M., Cushion, C., & Harvey, S. (2014). An investigation of the effect of athletes’ age on the coaching behaviours of professional top-level youth soccer coaches. J Sports Sci, 32(5), 403–414.
• Rampinini, E., Impellizzeri, F. M., Castagna, C., Abt, G., Chamari, K., Sassi, A., & Marcora, S. M. (2007). Factors influencing physiological responses to small-sided soccer games. J Sports Sci, 25(6), 659–666.
• Sahli, F., Hammami, R., Sahli, H., Jebabli, N., Selmi, W., Zghibi, M., & Tillaar, R. van den. (2022a). The effects of combined verbal encouragement and technical instruction on technical skills and psychophysiological responses during small-sided handball games exercise in physical education. Front Psychol, 13, 902088.
• Sahli, H., Haddad, M., Jebabli, N., Sahli, F., Ouergui, I., Ouerghi, N., Bragazzi, N. L., & Zghibi, M. (2022b). The effects of verbal encouragement and compliments on physical performance and psychophysiological responses during the repeated change of direction sprint test. Front Psychol, 12, 18–23.
• Sahli, H., Jebabli, N., Sahli, F., Amara, S., Ghouili, H., & Zghibi, M. (2023). Effect of teacher’s verbal encouragement on psychophysiological responses during soccer small-sided game. Cuad Psicol Deporte, 23(2), 251–259.
• Sahli, H., Selmi, O., Zghibi, M., Hill, L., Rosemann, T., Knechtle, B., & Clemente, F. M. (2020). Effect of the Verbal Encouragement on Psychophysiological and Affective Responses during Small-Sided Games. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 17(23), 8884.
• Selmi, O. (2017). Effect of verbal coach encouragement on rating perceived exertion and mood state during small sided games in professional soccer players. MOJ Sports Med, 1(4), 94–98.
• Selmi, O., Levitt, D. E., Aydi, B., Ferhi, W., & Bouassida, A. (2023). Verbal encouragement improves game intensity, technical aspects, and psychological responses during soccer-specific training. Int J Sports Physiol Perform, 18(7), 758-764.
• Slinde, F., Suber, C., Suber, L., Edwén, C. E., & Svantesson, U. (2008). Test-retest reliability of three different countermovement jumping tests. J Strength Cond Res, 22(2), 640–644.
• Smith, R. E., Smoll, F. L., & Hunt, E. (1977). A System for the Behavioral Assessment of Athletic Coaches. Res Q Am Assoc Health Phys Educ, 48(2), 401–407.
• Soylu, Y. (2021). Comparison of emotional intelligence levels of soccer players according to age and playing position. Acta Gymnica, 51, e2021.008.
• Soylu, Y., & Arslan, E. (2021). Effects of mental fatigue on psychophysiological, cognitive responses, and technical skills in small-sided soccer games in amateur players. Balt J Health Phys Act, Suppl(2), 43–50.
• Stølen, T., Chamari, K., Castagna, C., & Wisløff, U. (2005). Physiology of soccer. Sports Med, 35(6), 501–536. Thompson, C. J., Noon, M., Towlson, C., Perry, J., Coutts, A. J., Harper, L. D., Skorski, S., Smith, M. R., Barrett, S., & Meyer, T. (2020). Understanding the presence of mental fatigue in English academy soccer players. J Sports Sci, 38(13), 1524–1530.
• Vaeyens, R., Lenoir, M., Williams, A. M., & Philippaerts, R. M. (2008). Talent identification and development programmes in sport. Sports Med, 38(9), 703–714.
• Vasconcelos, A. B. S., Farinon, R. L., Perasol, D. M., Santos, J. M. M. dos, & Freitas, V. H. de. (2020). Influência de estímulos motivacionais no desempenho em testes de salto vertical de atletas de futsal sub-17. Rev Bras Educ Fís Esporte, 34(4), 727–733.
• Wong, Y. J. (2015). The psychology of encouragement. Couns Psychol, 43(2), 178–216.
• Woods, C. T., McKeown, I., O’Sullivan, M., Robertson, S., & Davids, K. (2020). Theory to practice: performance preparation models in contemporary high-level sport guided by an ecological dynamics framework. Sports Med - Open, 6(1), 36.