The effect of 8 weeks of core training applied to youth (U-17) male football players on shooting accuracy, long pass accuracy and dribbling skills

Football, the most popular sport of the 21st century, is a complex sport in which the performance of athletes depends on many components. Improving the performance of football players depends on the physical fitness of the football players as well as training, technique and tactics. Football skills such as shooting, passing and dribbling are often performed in an unstable body position and dynamically in nature. Core stability ensures that the player maintains the dynamic balance of the trunk while performing football skills. The effects of core training on the strength, balance and endurance of athletes have been revealed in different studies, and it is expected that football players will increase their performance in general when applied together with other trainings. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of core training on shooting accuracy, long pass accuracy and dribbling skills of 17 years old male football players. In this study, 16 volunteer participants from 17-years-old male football players took part. The height values (n=16) of the participating football players in the study group were 174,44 ± 0,04 cm, their body weights (n=16) were 67,81 ± 5.5 kg; has been determined. A core training program was applied to the football players in the study group three times a week for eight weeks. Test measurements were made and recorded before and after core training. Shooting accuracy and dribbling skill tests were used in the Mor-Christian general football skill test, while the long pass skill test was designed by the researcher. The pre-test and post-test results were analyzed in the SPSS 21 program, and the results of the pre-test and post-test were compared in three aspects using basic descriptive statistics and the Paired Sample t-test method. According to the findings of the study, pre-test and post-test results differ significantly in terms of shooting accuracy, long pass accuracy and dribbling skills. Accordingly, core training positively affects the shooting accuracy, long pass accuracy and dribbling skills of 17-years-old male football players. Key Concepts: Football, Male Footballer, Core Training, Shooting Accuracy, Long Passing Accuracy, Dribbling Skill.