Coordinative Abilities of Soccer Players: A Comparative Analysis

Abstract

Background: The environment and lifestyle of most children has led to the reduction of their motor activity, as they live in small spaces and lack the proper playing conditions. Coordination is about controlling all the body parts while doing different activities of children. It is about making and maintaining connections between the brain and the muscles that control movement of the children. Objective: To compare the coordinative abilities between rural and urban male soccer players. Methodology: A group of sixty (N=60) male soccer players aged between 13-18 years  were randomly allowed for this study from different club of north 24 parganas district, West Bengal. They were further divided into two groups of 30 each (i.e., N1=30; rural players and N2=30; urban players). The purposive sampling technique was used to attain the objectives of the study. Orientation ability, Differentiation ability, Reaction ability, Balance ability and Rhythm ability were the Coordinative abilities selected for the study. The independent sample t- test statistical technique was used to analyzed the significant difference of coordinative abilities between rural and urban male soccer players and the level of significance was set at 0.05 levels. Results: The results showed that there was significant difference between rural and urban male soccer players, in respect to their Coordinative abilities on the sub variables i.e. reaction ability, orientation ability and differentiation ability. However insignificant difference was found for rhythm ability. Conclusions: It can be concluded that the rural male soccer players were better in Orientation ability, Differentiation ability, Reaction ability and Balance ability in comparison to urban male soccer players.