Effect Of Plyometric Training On Selected Skill Related Physical Fitness Components Of Male U-17 Soccer Trainees: The Case Of Ambo Goal Fifa Football Academy, Oromiya, Ethiopia.

Abstract

Plyometric training is a quick, powerful movement involving a system of reactive exercises and an eccentric contraction, followed immediately by an explosive concentric contraction. The objective of this study was to find out effects of eight weeks plyometric training on selected skill-related fitness components of male U-17 soccer trainees: the case of Ambo Goal FIFA Football Academy. The design was an experimental method. The 33 male football players in the Ambo Goal FIFA Football Academy who were the study's population of interest were selected using thorough comprehensive sampling techniques when they were U-17 years old. By using a random sampling lottery system, the participants in this study were divided into two groups: the experimental group (n = 16), which underwent plyometric training three times a week for two months, lasting 60 minutes per session, and the control group (n = 17), which did not participate in the eight-week plyometric training program but both groups undergone regular football training program. And both an experimental and control group had taken pre and post tests. The skill related physical fitness components performance test; speed (35 meter sprint test), agility (agility T-test) and explosive power (standing long jump test). For the analysis, SPSS software (version 26) was utilized. The gathered data was analyzed using paired-samples t-tests, mean, and standard deviation. The significant level of p<0.05 was considered. The result shows after two months of plyometric training significant mean differences were found in 35m sprint speed test (MD=0.66sec,p<0.000), agility T-test (MD=0.74sec, p<0.000) and standing long jump test (MD=-.50m, p<0.000). According to the study's findings, the intervention group's fitness levels in all of the selected skill related physical fitness components significantly improved. The study concluded that the effect of plyometric exercise training programs had a significant positive effect on improvement of speed, agility and explosive power of male U-17 soccer players after 8 weeks plyometric training.