The impact of verbal encouragement during the repeated agility speed training on internal intensity, mood state, and physical enjoyment in youth soccer players

Okba Selmi; Hilmi Jelleli; Souheir Bouali; Bilel Aydi; Omar Hindawi; Antonella Muscella; Anissa Bouassida; Katja Weiss; Beat Knechtle

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1180985

The impact of verbal encouragement during the repeated agility speed training on internal intensity, mood state, and physical enjoyment in youth soccer players

Front Psychol. 2023 Sep 21:14:1180985. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1180985. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Okba Selmi^{1

2}, Hilmi Jelleli^{1

2}, Souheir Bouali³, Bilel Aydi^{1

2}, Omar Hindawi⁴, Antonella Muscella⁵, Anissa Bouassida^{1

2}, Katja Weiss⁶, Beat Knechtle^{6

7}

Affiliations

¹ High Institute of Sports and Physical Education of Kef, University of Jendouba, El Kef, Tunisia.
² Research Unit: Sportive Sciences, Health and Movement, El Kef, Tunisia.
³ Laboratory of Analysis and Expertise of Sports Performance, Institute of Science and Technology of Physical and Sports Activities, Abdelhamid Mehri, University Constantine, Constantine, Algeria.
⁴ Department of Sports Rehabilitation, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan.
⁵ Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Technologies (DiSTeBA), University of Salento, Lecce, Italy.
⁶ Institute of Primary Care, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland.
⁷ Medbase St. Gallen Am Vadianplatz, St. Gallen, Switzerland.

Abstract

Objective: Verbal encouragement (VE) can be used by coaches to boost morale and commitment during training exercises. This investigation aimed to study the impacts of VE given by coaches on the physiological aspects, players' internal intensity, mood, and perceived enjoyment of youth soccer players during repeated agility speed training (RAS).

Methods: A total of 17 male youth soccer players (mean ± SD; age: 13.8 ± 0.4 years; body mass: 59.1 ± 6.7 kg; height: 170.0 ± 6.2 cm; training experience: 5.1 ± 0.7 years) participated, in a randomized order, in two experimental training sessions that consisted of a RAS (i.e., the Illinois course) either with VE (RAS-E) or without VE (RAS-NE), with a 7-day interval between the testing sessions. Heart rate (HR) was registered throughout the exercise. The rating of perceived exertion, blood lactate concentration [La], and perceived enjoyment were measured after each training session. The mood state was recorded before and after each protocol.

Results: HR mean (Cohen's coefficient d = 0.45, small), %HRmax (d = 0.37, small), HR peak (d = 0.66, moderate), [La] (d = 0.56, small), and the PACES score (d = 2.8, very large) were higher in RAS-E compared to RAS-NE (all, P < 0.001). Compared to the RAS-E trial, the RAS-NE trial showed higher fatigue (P < 0.01), tension (P < 0.05), anger (0.05), total mood score (P < 0.001), and lower vigor (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: Coaches may use VE during RAS to improve psychophysiological responses, mood state, and perceived enjoyment in youth soccer players.

Keywords: enjoyment; mood; motivation; repeated agility; verbal encouragement.