Contemporary practices of physical trainers in professional soccer: A qualitative study

Frontiers in Psychology

Psychology

Ismael Pinto¹  João Renato Silva²  Hernan Torres³  Adam Field⁴  Sérgio M. Querido⁵  João Ribeiro⁶  Patricio Cornejo⁷  Bruno Ferreira⁸  Alvaro Saffa⁹  Hugo Sarmento^1,10  António J. Figueiredo^1,10  Joel Barrera-Díaz^1,10 

[1] Athletic Club Barnechea, Santiago, Chile;Center of Research, Education, Innovation and Intervention in Sport (CIFI2D), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal;Club de Deportes Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile;Department of Sport and Exercise Science, Research Centre for Musculoskeletal Science and Sports Medicine, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom;Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Lisbon, Cruz Quebrada-Dafundo, Portugal;Research Center in Sports Sciences, Health Sciences and Human Development (CIDESD), University of Maia (ISMAI), Maia, Portugal;Department of Performance Optimization, Gabinete de otimização desportiva, Sporting Clube de Braga SAD, Braga, Portugal;San Luis de Quillota, Quillota, Chile;Sports Science School of Rio Maior, Polytechnic Institute of Santarém, Rio Maior, Portugal;Universidad Andrés Bello, Dirección Nacional de Deportes, Santiago, Chile;University of Coimbra, Research Unit for Sport and Physical Activity, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, Coimbra, Portugal;

关键词: physical abilities;    evaluation;    monitoring and control;    injury prevention;    optimization;    professional football;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1101958

 received in 2022-11-18, accepted in 2023-01-10,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

IntroductionPhysical trainers (PTs) are integral for managing load, reducing injury and optimizing performance in professional soccer. However, little is known about how this practitioners operate in the applied setting and how some of the nuances experienced influence practice.MethodsThis study explored the contemporary practices of PTs in professional soccer. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with eight PTs from different professional teams in European and South American leagues. Interview questions were designed to extract information on the evaluation of physical abilities, monitoring and control of training and injury prevention. Subsequently, the interviews were video-recorded, transcribed, translated and analyzed using a content analysis approach.ResultsThe results suggest that the evaluation of physical capacities is carried out by PTs at the beginning of the preseason. It also appears that it is attempted that this process of regular testing is applied during the competitive period, with most participants conducting partial physiological and physical evaluations at different stages throughout the competitive season. In relation to the monitoring and control of training, subjective feedback scales are used to estimate the internal load, and the use of GPS devices is common to quantify external loads. Injury prevention programmes were implemented by all participants and were generally in a multi-component format focused on preventing or optimizing physical capabilities.DiscussionThese insights can be used as a scientific reference point to inform applied practice in professional soccer, especially for practitioners that are inexperienced and aspiring to enhance how they operate in the field. Future investigations should explore the practices of PTs in detail and across a wider network in order to gain deeper and comprehensive insights into the applied soccer environment.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
Copyright © 2023 Barrera-Díaz, Figueiredo, Field, Ferreira, Querido, Silva, Ribeiro, Pinto, Cornejo, Torres, Saffa and Sarmento.