Agility and Soccer Performance of Soccer Athletes Following Short-Term Balance Training with AMTI Force Platform
Open Access
- Author:
- Alt, Ryan
- Area of Honors:
- Kinesiology
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Lacy Marie Alexander, Thesis Supervisor
James R Wilkes, Jr., Faculty Reader - Keywords:
- Postural Stability
Agility
Agility T-Test
505 Agility Test
AMTI Force Platform - Abstract:
- The purpose of this study was to determine whether the AMTI Force Platform combined with sway balance training could be an effective intervention to help soccer athletes improve their postural stability and athletic performance. 20 collegiate soccer athletes (Age: 20.22 +/- 1.19; Years Playing Experience: 14.8 +/- 2.76) were randomly divided into two groups, the experimental group (n=10) and the control group (n=10). To determine if there was a relationship between balance and agility performance, both groups completed the 505 Agility Test and the Agility T-Test before initiating the experimental balance training intervention. The experimental group then underwent 3 weeks, consisting of 6 days of proprioceptive balance training on the AMTI Force Platform. Following the 3 weeks of training both groups completed the pre-intervention agility tests once more to locate differences in performance. The experimental group athletes who underwent balance training showed significant improvement in 505 Agility Test scores for a right-directional turn (R) as well as Agility T-Test scores beginning with a right-directional pivot (R) (p<0.05). Although improvements were noted in experimental group scores within 505 Agility Test for a left-directional turn (L) and Agility T-Test beginning with a left-directional pivot (L) in relation to the control group, these results were not deemed significant (p>0.05). It was also important to note that the average balance scores for the experimental group who underwent the balance training protocol improved for Templates (A-G) across the 6 days of training. Results from this study demonstrate the effectiveness of using the AMTI Force Platform as a balance and agility training modality in soccer athletes. More studies should investigate leg strength and dominant footedness and how this played a defining role in the significance of the agility scores beginning with a turn or pivot in the right direction.