Degree Name
PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)
Program
Sport Physiology and Performance
Date of Award
8-2014
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Satoshi Mizuguchi
Committee Members
Michael H. Stone, Kimitake Sato, Adam L. Sayers
Abstract
The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the physical and technical demands of the women’s college soccer game through a case study approach. With advancements in technology, motion analysis has become commonplace in most professional environments. However, the literature on amateur soccer is quite scarce and warrants more attention. The aims of this dissertation were: 1) to describe the physical demands of each position for a women’s college soccer player as they relate to total distance covered, efforts, and distance covered in high-speed velocity bands, 2) explore the variation in physical performance during a competitive season, and 3) compare the physical and technical performance of college soccer players to see if there are correlates in performance between variables. Eleven female collegiate soccer players from a single National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) institution were tracked with Global Position System devices during a competitive season. Physical variables and technical variables were analyzed to gain further insight into the specific events that occur during a women’s college soccer match. Significant differences exist between positions for total distance covered during a match, with the forward and central defensive midfielder position covering the greatest distance during a match on average. The central defender position covered a significantly less amount of distance during a match than the other five positional subcategories. Outside players (forward, outside midfielder, and fullback) covered the greatest distance at high-speed velocity bands and perform the highest volume of high-speed efforts. The only significantly different technical variable found was the pass completion percentage of the central defensive midfielder compared with other positions. The current investigation highlights the unique characteristics of female collegiate soccer players when separated and analyzed by the positional subcategories. With uniqueness present in a once thought to be homogenous population the demand for individualized training protocols becomes paramount to increase chance of optimal performance while simultaneously decreasing risk of injury.
Document Type
Dissertation - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Alexander, Ryan, "Physical and Technical Demands of Women’s Collegiate Soccer" (2014). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 2421. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/2421
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.