Abstract:
The main purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of strength and plyometric exercise on the development of fitness in youth soccer players at the Ambof Football Project in West Shewa, Oromia. The study design was a true experimental research design. The total population of the study subjects was 20 male football players from the Ambof football project. All players were taken as a sample for the study by using a comprehensive sampling technique. The sample was classified into an experimental group (N = 10) and a control group (N = 10) by using simple random sampling techniques. This study entered and computed the acquired data using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 27.0. The method of the study used inferential statistics from a paired sample t-test to analyze the mean, standard deviation, and significance difference between the pre-test and post-test results of the study subjects. The significance level was set at p<0.05. The result of the study showed in power (vertical jump test) (MD = -5.3) p<.001, in speed (35m speed run test) (MD = 0.42400) P<.001, agility (Illinois agility run test) (MD = 0.63900) p <.001, strength (wall squat) (MD = -12.5000) P<.001. Therefore, the result of the experimental group study shows that after the intervention of strength and plyometric training, there was a significant change (p<0.05) in power, speed, agility, and strength. Whereas there was no change in the control group in power (vertical jump test) (MD = -0.20000) p = 0.642, in speed (35m speed run test) (MD = 0.01900) P = 0.408, agility (Illinois agility run test) (MD = 0.00300) p = 0.616, and strength (wall squat) (MD = 0.30000) P = 0.627, respectively. The researcher recommended that strength and plyometric training have a significant effect on the power, speed, agility, and strength improvement of football players’ physical fitness. Therefore, football coaches and players are highly recommended to include scientific strength and plyometric training in their training programs
