Relationship between speed, agility and anaerobic power of 14-16 years elite soccer players

ABSTRACT: Identifying the physiological characteristics and existing relationships between these variables as the most effective factors for assessing and selecting the soccer players. The present study seeks the answer to this question that is there any relationship between speed, agility and anaerobic power of 14-16 years elite footballers? In order to achieve the study purpose, 20 elite soccer players from the adolescents football league in Tehran (mean age, 15.25±1.15 years, height 172.3±2.90 cm and weigh 61.1±2.97 kg) volunteered to participate in the study a week before the 88-89 season of football league competition. To assess the anaerobic power of the subjects, Sargent vertical Jump, to measure the speed, 10 m sprint test and to assess the agility, 9×4 m tests used. Inferential data analysis and Pearson correlation test using 11.5 version of SPSS software and the significance level of ?=0.05 used to data analyzing. The results showed that there were significant relationships between the speed and anaerobic power (r=0.904, p=0.001), speed and agility (r=0.976, p=0.001) and anaerobic power and agility (r=0.884, p=0.001) of 14-16 years elite football players. In the present study, significant relationships observed between the measured factors and this indicates on football coachesʹ attention to these factors and identical training programs to improve these factors in soccer players