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

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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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Psychology of goalkeepers in Telki

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It was a great honor for me to be able to hold the psychology module for Goalkeeper B license to goalkeeper coaches in Telki this week! I am grateful for the invitation to Dániel Illyés, the federal goalkeeping coach and coach training instructor. At the same time, I thank Dr. Ágota Lénárt for his professional mentoring and Dominik Sárkány for his role as co-leader in the process.

But what was the "psychology of goalkeepers" module about?

In the first block, we talked with the goalkeeper coaches about the symptoms of performance anxiety and how to create and maintain an optimal competitive statement. I was curious about how they experienced the these situations as active goalkeepers, so I presented that kind of exercises in which they could report on their own experiences. In addition, the participants learned sports psychology techniques that they can safely apply to their own goalkeepers, staying within their limits of competence.
In the second block, it was about setting real performance goals. During my practical work, I find that, although youngsters are aware of their goals, the path leading to them is less consciously structured. That's why my colleague Dominik and I presented a model to the goalkeeper coaches, with the help of which the process targets come into focus, to what the athlete has an effect on. Essentially, what do you do day by day, week by week, month by month in order to achieve the big goal.
The condition for successful work was the openness of the goalkeeper coaches. For me - and for the professional of sports psychology- the greatest recognition was that we reached the point at the end of the process, that sports psychology has an indisputable role in the preparation of young athletes.

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