Sport-specific training of executive functions in soccer clubs - Empirical investigation of the effect of a soccer-based intervention on the executive functions of players in the age group of 11 to 13 years (FeFiF)

Basic data for this project

Type of project: Own resources project
Duration: since 01/04/2022

Description

Executive functions are cognitive control processes that regulate thoughts and actions, especially in situations that cannot be handled routinely or automatically. The three sub-functions inhibition, cognitive flexibility and working memory are distinguished (Miyake et al., 2000). Executive functions are related to physical and mental health and, in children, to school readiness and academic success (for example, mathematics achievement). People with higher executive functions have a higher quality of life and more success at work. Low levels, on the other hand, correlate with aspects such as addictive behavior, crime, and violence in adulthood (Diamond, 2013). Also in soccer, initial study results suggest a correlation between the executive system and game intelligence, the number of assists, and the level of play of players* (including Vestberg et al., 2020). From these findings, a synergy between performance orientation and general developmental support can be derived. The project aims to use this synergy in order to support children and adolescents in their cognitive development as well as to improve their soccer-specific performance by implementing a program to promote executive functions in club soccer. The aim of the project is to investigate the effectiveness of a sport-specific support program in soccer training that targets the executive functions of the players. For this purpose, the executive-functional development of players from teams of the age group U12 and U13 juniors will be examined over a period of 15 weeks in a randomized controlled intervention study. Diamond, A. (2013). Executive functions. Annual review of psychology, 64, 135–168. Miyake, A., Friedman, N. P., Emerson, M. J., Witzki, A. H., Howerter, A., & Wager, T. D. (2000). The unity and diversity of executive functions and their contributions to complex "Frontal Lobe" tasks: a latent variable analysis. Cognitive psychology, 41(1), 49–100. Vestberg, T., Jafari, R., Almeida, R., Maurex, L., Ingvar, M., & Petrovic, P. (2020). Level of play and coach-rated game intelligence are related to performance on design fluency in elite soccer players. Scientific reports, 10(1), 9852.

Keywords: Executive functions; inhibition; cognitive flexibility; working memory; fostering; enhancement; training; soccer; extracurricular sport; intervention study.