CAN MULTIMEDIA ENHANCE TACTICAL TEACHING-LEARNING-TRAINING IN SOCCER? THE CASE OF SPHERO™.

Purpose. the study aimed to compare the players' and coach's individual perception of tactical competence before and after an intervention based on imagery techniques and a multimedia resource (Sphero™). Methods. Sphero™, a teleguided miniature ball rolling in any direction, was applied to teach tactics before and during training sessions and games over a 5-week specific training program. the ball was used to represent a game ball, and cones were placed on a miniature soccer pitch to simulate the play and explain the coach's directives. the execution and the understanding of pre-game directives were respectively evaluated by the coach and the players themselves, before and after the training program. An empirical pre-post treatment was used to compare 245 rates provided by 14 players of an under-14 amateur soccer team in Canada. Descriptive analysis was performed and the t-test or Wilcoxon test (z) were used for paired comparison (pre- vs. post-training). the statistical significance of the results was set at p < 0.05. Results. After 5 weeks of training with the use of Sphero™, results showed that the players appreciated their ability to play in accordance with directives, and that the coach was able to observe his directives through how they played, although the assessment scores of understanding remained the same. Conclusions. A teaching setup involving Sphero™ allowed a good understanding but training was necessary to reach better assessment scores for the actual application of the directives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]