A small study looking at the variance of training load after a new coach came in during the season presented at the 2nd International Sports Medicine and Fitness conference.

1. The variance of daily training load in
Arabic professional youth soccer
players after a change of head coach
during the in-season.
Guido Seerden
Al Shabab Al Arabi Football Club, Dubai, UAE.

2. Introduction
In soccer, coaches and managers are the main
responsible for planning and executing training
sessions.
The main power within a coaching staff
hierarchy belongs to the managers or coaches,
while the medical team is ranked poorly in
professional soccer.
(Ekstrand 2013)

3. Introduction
It is important to look at external factors like
training load and continuity of coaching staff when
looking at players’ wellbeing and injury prevention.
(Ekstrand, 2013)
A common tool used in team sports to analyse daily
training load is Session-Rate of Perceived Exertion
(RPE).
(Coutts et al. 2008)
Widely used in youth soccer.
(Brink et al. 2010, Wrigley et al., 2012)

4. Introduction
The aim of this study was to look at the variance
of daily training load in Arabic professional
youth soccer players after a change of head
coach during the in-season.
Hypothesis was that there would be a change in
daily training load with a new head coach (B).

5. Method
Ten U19 youth soccer players playing in a
professional youth academy in the UAE were
selected.
A minimum of two players were chosen from
each of the three main out- field playing
positions.
No goalkeepers.

6. Method
Session-Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) was used as an
indicator of daily training load (TL) in Arbitrary Units (AU):
RPE (0-10 Borg scale Arabic)
*
Session duration
Data was collected for five typical training weeks with
coach A and with coach B during the in-season and
consisted of an average number of four training sessions,
including one game.

7. Method

8. Data analysis
Training days were categorized according to
different training approaches based on days
before or after the game:
• Loading (Match Day -5, -4 and -3)
• Tapering (Match Day -2 and -1)
• Match Day
• Recovery (Match Day +1 and +2).

9. Method
Training days were categorized according to
different training approaches based on days
before or after the game:
• Loading (Match Day -5, -4 and -3)
• Tapering (Match Day -2 and -1)
• Match Day
• Recovery (Match Day +1 and +2).

10. Data analysis
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
Recovery Loading Tapering Game
Trainingload(inAU)
Training approach
Change of head coach
Coach A
Coach B
Figure 1. The variance of daily training load after a change of head coach
during the in-season (p > 0.05).

11. Discussion
Statistical analysis revealed that the main effect of
the change of head coach showed no significant
difference in TL (p > 0.05), while the main effect of
training approach showed to be significantly
different in TL (p < 0.05).
Same support staff
Validation Arabic Borg Scale

12. Discussion
Results showed that there was no significant
interaction effect between training approach
and the head coach (A or B).
In summary, there is no variance of daily training
load in Arabic professional youth soccer players
after a change of head coach during the in-
season.

13. Thank you
Any questions?
Email: mail@guidoseerden.com