Cognitive and motor skills in soccer players - Abstract

Usually when we saw soccer match it is possible to notice that the conditions of the game change constantly in the way of the ball and the players and for each game context the player should decide the right movement to do, and also to execute with perfection. In soccer games can have situations that the player takes appropriated decisions, but do not do with precision the motor skill, then also can exist situations when the player have difficult to make decisions, but have good motor skill. These two situations can cause barriers to reach the objective. Then the successful in soccer depends on of motor and cognitive skills. This study had the objective compare the motor skill and cognitive skill of soccer players in the training centers, soccer schools and field through two motor tests, Wall Volley Test and Soccer Dribble Test and, four cognitive tests: declarative and procedure knowledge, decision making and kick identification. In this study was found that training centers had the better results in all tests made, probably because of several factors as, more time of week practice and annual compared with the others, structure made properly, a professional working and also the familiar incentive (the family of the soccer player live them to practice whenever is necessary). However in the field and the schools for soccer some of this factors do not are present, why it compromised the performance of soccer players. The field when compared with soccer schools give high development in the motor tests and less in the cognitive tests, but only the decision making test had significant differences. This shows that field even do not having structure for training properly and on professional orientation, as in the soccer school, obtained similar results as this local. All results show us and lead us to affirm that the development of soccer player do not depend on of isolated factors, but the integration of variety factors.