Football-specific development of cognitive abilities based on a holistic approach

In football, a high level of cognitive abilities is necessary for proper and effective thinking and for making decisions in the game. More and more modern tools are available to examine the psychological functions of athletes. This category also includes the Vienna Test System (VTS), which is a valid computerized psychological measurement procedure.

During our research, we approached the development of cognitive abilities holistically, so we used systematic thinking. The development processes of cognitive abilities were included in the weekly training periodization, taken into account in the planning of the training sessions and during the training management, and were also linked to the weekend matches. We also communicated the cognitive skills development exercises, their role and importance to the athletes. The VTS system was applied at the beginning of the development process, to determine the current state, and at the end of the process, to examine the results.

The experimental group consisted of the U13 age group of our academy playing in the 2021/2022 season (athletes born in 2009), while the control group was the U13 team of the 2020/2021 season (athletes born in 2008). We decided to compare by age because we also had VTS data from the last year, for both age groups. The experimental group received football-specific cognitive development with a holistic approach in the 2021-2022 league season. We used the Smartfootball method to develop logical decision-making, Sisa brainstorming exercises to develop stimulus detection, spatial orientation, reaction time, attention switching and attention sharing, the Coerver method to develop ball perception, and the Life Kinetik method to develop attention sharing and concentration.

The athletes of the experimental group performed better compared to the first measurement point the second time, comparing their results with themselves. The difference was also observed in the case of attention functions, logical decision-making and reactive behavior. Furthermore, in the case of logical decision-making and reactive behavior, there was no difference between the two age groups at the first measurement point, however, at the second measurement, the athletes of the test group achieved better results. Source of the study: https://magyaredzo.hu/magyar-edzo/#dearflip-df_25139/1/

Magyar Edző, 2022/4, 53-57. o.

Source: https://magyaredzo.hu/magyar-edzo/#dearflip-df_25139/1/

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