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MAXIMIZING JUMP PERFORMANCE: THE ROLE OF PLYOMETRICS IN YOUTH FOOTBALL TRAINING
Views:477Vertical jump training is a fundamental method for the physical conditioning of athletes. The synergy of motor skills exhibited during such movements substantially contributes to achieving motor acts and actions with higher performance indices. In football, vertical jumping, like other specific factors, is an essential element that can determine the outcome of a match. Football players need to be physically prepared to handle any complex situations that may arise during a game.
Our study aims to evaluate the impact of plyometric training on vertical jump height performance in young football players.
A total of 16 subjects, U11 football players, were randomly assigned equally into a PL group (N=8), which followed a plyometric training routine for 6 weeks, and a control group (N=8), which followed the routines set by the club team's coach. They were evaluated in two phases – an initial and a final phase – using Optojump testing equipment. The results obtained were compared using statistical and mathematical methods of descriptive analysis, the Shapiro-Wilk test for normality distribution, and the Independent Samples T-test.
Additionally, Levene's test was used to analyze the type of variances in the distributions.
Our study confirmed that a customized plyometric training routine can significantly improve vertical jump performance, considering age-specific characteristics.
Our investigations suggest that integrating this type of training into the subjects' routines can bring significant benefits to the development of motor skills, specifically to young football players, offering exciting perspectives for optimizing their performance in the long term.
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Differences Between Standard and Sport-Specific Countermovement Jumps in High-Performance U18 Male Water Polo Players: A Cross-Sectional Study
Views:0Introduction: Vertical jump capacity is essential for evaluating lower-limb performance in water polo, especially under dryland testing conditions. While power or force is often implied, jumping height remains the primary measurable outcome in these protocols. Aim: This study aimed to compare vertical jump performance in U18 male water polo players using two jump types: the standard Counter-movement Jump (CMJ) and a modified "Frog Style" CMJ (CMJ-Frog), hypothesizing that the latter better reflects sport-specific lower-limb mechanics. Materials & Methods: A cross-sectional, within-subjects design was employed on a sample of 39 male water polo players from the Under-18 category (mean height: 183.02 ± 5.43 cm; mean weight: 75.20 ± 10.41 kg). Each athlete performed three maximal trials of two jump protocols: the standard Counter-movement Jump (CMJ) and the modified sport-specific CMJ-Frog. Jump height was measured using the OptoJump Next system. Data analysis comprised descriptive statistics and normality assessment using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test. Inferential statistics were conducted via paired-samples t-tests to compare protocols within subjects, with effect sizes calculated using Cohen's d. Results: CMJ-Frog jumps yielded significantly higher values (37.43 ± 4.59 cm) than standard CMJs (34.17 ± 4.49 cm), t (38) = -7.46, p < .001, with a large effect size (d = 1.19). Conclusions: The CMJ-Frog style may serve as a more functionally relevant assessment for evaluating vertical jump capacity in Under-18 male water polo players, as it better reflects the mechanics of aquatic elevation during gameplay. It may offer a more specific alternative for performance testing and monitoring in aquatic athletes. Future studies should validate the CMJ-Frog protocol in senior players and investigate its relationship with in-water performance metrics.