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©Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (2015) 14, 792-798
http://www.jssm.org
Received: 07 July 2015 / Accepted: 23 September 2015 / Published (online): 01 December 2015
Jump Rope Training: Balance and Motor Coordination in Preadolescent Soccer
Players
Athos Trecroci
, Luca Cavaggioni, Riccardo Caccia and Giampietro Alberti
Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
Abstract
General physical practice and multidimensional exercises are
essential elements that allow young athletes to enhance their
coordinative traits, balance, and strength and power levels,
which are linked to the learning soccer-specific skills. Jumping
rope is a widely-used and non-specific practical method for the
development of athletic conditioning, balance and coordination
in several disciplines. Thus, the aim of this study was to investi-
gate the effects of a short-term training protocol including jump-
ing rope (JR) exercises on motor abilities and body balance in
young soccer players. Twenty-four preadolescent soccer players
were recruited and placed in two different groups. In the Exper-
imental group (EG), children performed JR training at the be-
ginning of the training session. The control group (CG), execut-
ed soccer specific drills. Harre circuit test (HCT) and Lower
Quarter Y balance test (YBT-LQ) were selected to evaluate
participant’s motor ability (e.g. ability to perform rapidly a
course with different physical tasks such as somersault and
passages above/below obstacles ) and to assess unilateral dy-
namic lower limb balance after 8 weeks of training. Statistical
analysis consisted of paired t-test and mixed analysis of variance
scores to determine any significant interactions. Children who
performed jumping rope exercises showed a significant decrease
of 9% (p < 0.01, ES = 0.50-0.80) in the performance time of
HCT. With regard to the CG, no differences were highlighted (p
> 0.05, ES = 0.05-0.2) from pre- to post-training. A training-by-
group interaction was found for the composite score in both legs
(p < 0.05, Part η
2
> 0.14). Our findings demonstrated that JR
practice within regular soccer training enhanced general motor
coordination and balance in preadolescent soccer players. There-
fore, the inclusion of JR practice within regular soccer training
session should encouraged to improve children’s motor skills.
Key words: Muscle power, plyometric exercise, postural con-
trol, motor skills, deliberate practice.
Introduction
Predicting long-term achievement of young players turns
problematic because of multifactorial determinants of the
success (e.g. motivation, maturation, environmental regu-
lating factors) (Carling et al., 2009). However, it is recog-
nized that athletes who are experienced with a wide range
of physical activities during their motor development
stages required less time of training to reach a sport-
related motor-proficiency (Baker et al., 2003). For exam-
ple, cross-training (i.e. training with the inclusion of other
sports or activities) may improve physical fitness and
physiological conditioning in children who regularly
practice a specific sport (Baker et al., 2003). According to
the developmental model of sports participation, during
the sampling years (from 6 to 12 years) young athletes
need to take part to deliberate practice and exercises that
help to achieve gains in their motor abilities, rather than
those exercises involving an early specialization (Côté et
al., 2009). Motor abilities include perceptual and physical
factors (Fleishman et al., 1984) in which many important
capacities such as general motor coordination (i.e. mul-
tilimb and gross body coordination), spatial orientation,
balance (i.e. gross body equilibrium), strength, and power
are involved. Players with a marked motor coordination,
balance and strength are likely to perform complex
movements (e.g. agility tasks) with a high degree of pos-
tural control and intensity (Bobbio et al., 2009; Gordo and
Gurfinkel, 2004). In soccer, although none of these ele-
ments is interchangeable, they are crucial to elevate ath-
letes’ motor abilities based on change of direction maneu-
vers. Hence, enhancing young soccer players’ motor abil-
ity should involve the use of closed skill activities (e.g.
sprinting, changing of direction and jumping), as well as
open skills activities (e.g. balance, orientation tasks and
reactive movements) in the form of non-specific training
within regular sessions (Gabbett et al., 2008). For exam-
ple, non-organized soccer activities such as game formats
incorporating other sports (e.g. Handball) or relay races
with and without the ball may represent useful training
tools that would identify an appropriate mixture between
aforementioned closed and open skills activities. Howev-
er, although such activities may not include sport-specific
skills, they usually refer to physical tasks that do not di-
versify from those regularly experienced through tech-
nical and tactical exercises (e.g. during small sided soccer
games and slalom drills). Given that the involvement in
various free play activities (e.g. jumping, climbing, run-
ning) is a main multidimensional stimulus in the sampling
years (Côté et al., 2009), training sessions of preadoles-
cent soccer players should also include forms of exercises
that are not related to those experienced regularly.
In this context, jumping rope (JR) represents an al-
ternative form of exercise that involves upper and lower
body movements. During the execution, arms rotate the
rope while legs perform repeated bounces with the aim to
maintain constant vertical take-off and landing phases
until the end of the exercise. During successive jumps, the
body needs to re-establish balance and propulsion force
through a coordinated action of upper and lower body
region muscles. In particular, balance abilities are essen-
tial to obtain an effective pushing phase. The role of JR
within training programs has been investigated to estab-
lish positive effects on physiological parameters of cardi-
ovascular and respiratory systems (Hatfield et al., 1985;
Research article
Trecroci et al.
793
Orhan, 2013). However, several research studies also
demonstrated its positive impact on physical qualities
(Miyaguchi et al., 2014b; Ozer et al., 2011). Makaruk
(2013) observed that performing JR during a warm up
provided greater improvements in subsequent horizontal
jumping tasks than a warm up protocol with traditional
jumps (e.g. fast skipping and pogo jumps) in adult elite
track and field athletes. Other studies also focused on the
effects of JR in younger athletes. Miyaguchi et al. (2014a)
investigated the use of two methods of rope jumping (i.e.
basic and double under jumps) by comparing the rebound
jump index as a standard indicator of the stretch-
shortening cycle. The authors observed that jump rope
tasks with an increased rotation frequency (e.g. in the
double-under exercise) provided similar effects of plyom-
etric rebounds in terms of a reduction in the contact time
and an improvement in the jump height. Lastly, Buchheit
et al. (2014) evaluated the effects of an 8-week training
including short jump rope intervals (10-20 s at maximal
speed with 2-3 min of passive recovery) and long jump
rope intervals (2 min at 120 rotations per min with 3 min
of passive recovery) on a 30-15 intermittent fitness test
performance in well-trained children. The authors report-
ed a positive impact on physiological (hearth rate and rate
of perceived exertion) and performance (increase of ~9%
in the final running speed test) parameters.
Despite numerous publications on various general
physical capacities (i.e. running or jumping) (Miyaguchi
et al., 2014b; Ozer et al., 2011; Makaruk, 2013), to date,
no studies have investigated the effects of jumping rope
training on coordination and balance performance in chil-
dren practicing soccer. Balance and coordination, in terms
of an integration of multiple physical tasks, are basic
elements that allow athletes to develop a motor ability,
performing movement patterns in a controlled and suita-
ble approach. They also contribute to learn and develop
more complex movements (Cordo and Gurfinkel, 2004),
which play a key role in allowing young athletes to ac-
quire sport-specific proficiency.
General motor coordination is the capacity to exe-
cute various controlled movements regardless of soccer-
specific skills. Kamandulis et al., (2013) further suggest
that general coordination plays a significant role in young
athletes who are not able to master skills highly related to
a specific sport. This statement seems to support the use
of alternative forms of exercise able to improve such
capacity within the sampling years. With regard to the
balance, children require to maintain stability of the cen-
ter of mass when performing static as well as dynamic
physical activities, especially during soccer exercises. In
soccer, it has been demonstrated that a higher level of
competition is related to a greater balance capacity (Butler
et al., 2012) across different ages. Likewise, balance ca-
pacity is widely acknowledged as a fundamental motor
component (Butterfield and Loovis, 1994) in the early
sampling phase.
Jumping rope performance depends mostly on the
gross motor coordination that is the ability to coordinate
arms, legs, and torso movements when the whole body is
in motion (Fransen et al., 2012). In addition, such com-
bined movements have the task of maintaining balance
(i.e. postural stability) throughout the exercise to prevent
unsuitable displacements of the center of gravity. Accord-
ing to these considerations, it is reasonable assume that a
training program based on jumping rope exercises may be
effective in improving those aforementioned capabilities.
We hypothesized that a period of JR training including
various motor tasks (e.g. moving the legs in a different
plane and increasing the height of jumps) would be effec-
tive of improving general coordination and balance per-
formance in children. Thus, the aim of the present study
was to examine the effects of 8-week jumping rope train-
ing on general motor coordination and balance in sub-elite
young soccer players. To test our hypothesis, we used the
Lower Quarter Y Balance Test (YBT-LQ) for assessing
dynamic postural control and the Harre Circuit test (HCT)
to evaluate general coordinative traits within a wide varie-
ty of motor tasks.
Methods
Participants
Twenty-four sub-elite young soccer players (11.3±0.70
years; 48.8 ± 0.40 kg; 1.53 ± 0.05 m; soccer training ex-
perience 4.56 ± 0.66 years) participated in the study. They
were training 3 times a week with the addition of one
match per week. All children and their parents were in-
formed about the purpose and experimental risks of the
research. Parents or legal guardians provided the written
informed consent before the investigation. A priori data
and a power analysis was used to detect the sample size.
The minimal number of participants required to achieve a
power of 0.8 and an alpha level of 0.05 was calculated to
be at least 6. The anticipated number of participants was
increased to prevent an expected drop out. However, all
participants were completely tested. The study was ap-
proved by the Ethical Committee of the Università degli
Studi di Milano, in accordance with the Helsinki declara-
tion as revised in 2013.
Procedures
Participants were assigned randomly to a control group
(CG; n = 12) and an experimental group (EG; n = 12).
The design of the study included two weeks of familiari-
zation sessions for all physical assessments and exercises
before starting the 8-week intervention program. Anthro-
pometric characteristics were recorded 48 hours prior to
testing. All participants were tested in two separate occa-
sions with at least two days in between at the same time
of day (from 3.00 pm to 5.00 pm) for both pre- and post-
assessments. Testing assessments followed a random
selection. The same operator supervised the testing trials
and their reliability was calculated using the Intraclass
Correlation Coefficient (ICC). A high value was observed
in the harre circuit test tests (ICC > 0.955) and lower
quarter y balance test (ICC > 0.900 for both lower limbs)
General motor coordination
General coordination competences are usually assessed
utilizing tests involving layout and nature atypical of the
specific sport accounted (Kamandulis et al. 2013). The
Harre circuit test (HCT) is a popular and widely used test
Jump rope training in soccer
794
in the scientific literature (Chiodera et al., 2007; Harre,
1982; Weineck, 2009; Zatsiorsky and Kraemer, 2006) to
assess the ability of a subject to coordinate quickly com-
plex movements and general motor tasks with high di-
mensionality in terms of number of joints involved and
levels of force generated. The scheme of the HCT was
reported in the Figure 1. After an initial somersault, par-
ticipants were asked to perform three consecutive passag-
es above and below three obstacles, turning around a
central cone. Three trials were performed and separated
by 5 min of rest. Total time of each trial were recorded by
using a photocells system (Microgate, Bolzano, Italia) and
the average time was considered in the analysis. In case of
mistakes (e.g. touching the obstacle), children were asked
to repeat the trial after 2 minutes of rest. All trials were
performed in an indoor gym, observing the same condi-
tions.
Figure 1 (a). Layout of the Harre Circuit Test. Arrows and
numbers indicate the test’s route to be followed as fast as
possible by participants. (b). Scheme of distances among
components and parts of the test.
Balance
Lower Quarter Y balance test (YBT-LQ) was included to
assess unilateral dynamic lower limb balance, as a clini-
cally efficient field test in predicting injury and perfor-
mance level of soccer players (Butler et al., 2012). The
YBT involved using a testing device to measure the dis-
tance reached in anterior (A), posteromedial (PM) and
posterolateral (PL) direction while standing on each foot.
For a complete description of the YBT device, refer to the
study of Plisky et al. (2009) and Gribble et al. (2012).
Children performed the YBT-LQ barefoot to limit possi-
ble influences of footwear on balance. During all trials,
participants were instructed to keep the hands on their
hips and not to touch the floor with the reach foot except
for marking their reach. In case of a failure of the above
criteria, children were asked to repeat the trial. Testing
procedures consisted of three trials standing on the right
foot in which participants were asked to reach the A, PM
and PL direction for 3 repetitions with the opposite foot.
Afterwards, equal number of trials and repetitions were
performed standing on the left foot following the same
order among directions.
The lower limb length was also measured to nor-
malize the reach distance among participants (Plisky et
al., 2009). From a supine position, “true” leg length were
obtained by measuring the distance between the anterior
superior iliac spine and the medial malleolus. From these
data, the composite reach score was calculated by sum-
ming the maximum reach distance for the three reach
directions (A, PM and PL) on a given limb and dividing
by three times the limb length prior to multiplying by 100
to reference the composite reach as a percentage of leg
length. All trials was observed and scored by an function-
al movement screen (FMSTM) certified operator.
Table 1. Descriptive characteristics of the JR training inter-
vention performed by the EG.
Weeks
# sessions
TR/rest
# of sets
Rest (s)
From 1-wk to 4-wk
2
30/30
3
60
From 5-wk to 8-wk
2
40/40
3
60
# sessions: Number of sessions per week; TR/rest: Training/rest per
exercise; # of sets: number of sets; Rest: Rest between sets
Training groups
Children allocated in the EG, received a jump rope train-
ing program at the beginning of the soccer training ses-
sion for a period of 15 min, two days a week. The entire
intervention program involved 8 weeks’ in-season from
the beginning of October until the end of November (see
Table 1). Prior to training, participants were instructed to
warm up with general running exercises and dynamic
stretching for ten minutes. During the jumping rope train-
ing, all the repetitions were guided by metronome rates of
120 rotations per min to ensure equal exercise intensity
among children. The Jumping rope intervention consisted
of 5 exercises performed with the following order: basic
bounce step, double basic bounce step, alternate foot step,
scissors step, and double under. Each exercise was exe-
cuted by all participants using a jump rope with identical
features in terms of weight (i.e. 230g), length (i.e. shoul-
der measurement), and material (i.e. PVC, Polyvinyl
Chloride). Children located in the CG received a specific
program with soccer skills. The soccer program was di-
vided in three parts and included technical exercises (e.g.
ball carrying, passing, heading, and dribbling), a combi-
nation of defensive and offensive actions (1 on 1, 2 on 1,
2 on 2 and 3 on 2), and small sided games. Each part of
the program lasted 5 minutes and was performed two days
Trecroci et al.
795
a week. Every training session was conducted on an arti-
ficial turf field.
Statistical analysis
All of the analyses were performed using the IBM SPSS
Statistics (v. 21, New York, U.S.A.) and data shown as
mean ± SD. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was conduct-
ed to verify if all data met the normality test assumption.
The entire data set presented a normal distribution. A
paired t-test was used to determine the differences be-
tween pre-post intervention protocols on the HCT out-
comes. The effect size (ES) was calculated to assess
meaningfulness of differences and the thresholds for
small, moderate and large effects were defined as 0.20,
0.50, and 0.80, respectively (Cohen, 1988). An alpha
value of p < 0.05 was set as criterion level of significance.
A mixed between-within subjects analysis of variance
(ANOVA) was used to determine the interaction between
the two independent variables of training (pre/post; within
subjects factor) and group (EG and CG; between subjects
factors) on the composite reach score (dependent varia-
ble) of both lower limbs, only for the YBT-LQ. Partial eta
squared (Part η2) was used to estimate the magnitude of
the difference within each group and the thresholds for
small, moderate and large effects were defined as 0.01,
0.06, and 0.14, respectively (Cohen, 1988).
Results
Both EG and CG presented non-significant (p > 0.05)
differences in mean age, height, and body mass. The EG
obtained a significant reduction from 19.2 to 17.5 s (p =
0.001, ES = 0.67) in the performance time after 8 weeks
of jumping rope training, while CG showed a negligible
reduction from 20.1 to 19.9 s (p = 0.226, ES = 0.07). With
regards to YBT-LQ, Table 2 shows data for composite
reach score values for the two groups before and after the
intervention. There a significant interaction (simple ef-
fect) found between the two groups in the pre- to post-
training of the right (p < 0.05, Power = 0.63) and the left
leg (p < 0.05, Power = 0.54). This indicated a significant
change in scores of both legs in favor of the EG. Children
located in the EG improved their composite reach score
between pre- to post-training intervention (main effect) on
the right limb (p < 0.001, Part η
2
= 0.457, Power = 0.98)
and on the left (p < 0.05, Part η
2
= 0.188, Power = 0.58).
No significant improvement was observed in the CG for
both lower limbs.
Discussion
The aim of the present research was to examine the ef-
fects of short-term rope jump training on balance perfor-
mance and general motor coordination in young soccer
players. In the present research, motor coordination was
examined by using the HCT, which evaluates the ability
to coordinate quickly complex general motor tasks (e.g.
climbing, hopping, running and turning) and cognitive
capabilities (reaction time and spatial orientation) using
the whole body (Chiodera et al., 2007). After 8 weeks of
the training program, children who performed jumping
rope exercises showed a significant decrease in the per-
formance time on HCT. Conversely, children who exe-
cuted soccer-specific conditioning did not reduce their
running time significantly.
Inconsistent effects found in the CG, may be likely
attributed to limited coordinative stimuli between upper
and lower body segments within specific soccer skills.
Ball carrying, passing, kicking, and dribbling represents
crucial technical skills and are predominant elements
within regular soccer trainings. However, technical skills
are focused on specific upper and lower limbs coordina-
tive movements (Kamandulis et al., 2013), which may not
allow players in the sampling years (from 6 to 12 years)
to fully benefit from general activities (Baker et al., 2003)
or exercises not related with those specific skills (e.g.
jumping rope exercises). Conversely, in a recent study,
Hornig et al. (2014) examined the developmental sporting
activities of 102 soccer players (52 professionals and 50
amateurs) and reported different conclusions. Authors
stated that adult highly skilled players practiced non-
organized and organized sport-specific activities (i.e.
soccer match-play) for the most of the time in their child-
hood. However, such developmental model is too specific
and can facilitate an increase in the dropout rate (Côté et
al., 2009), especially in the preadolescent and adolescent
stages.
In view of that, the latter statement is in line with
the findings of the present study. A plausible explanation
can be found on the nature of the exercise carried out by
the EG. In fact, the JR motion requires a consecutive and
synchronized use of both upper and lower body with a
high degree of coordination and rhythmicity (Bobbio et
al., 2009). The combined use of both arms and lower
limbs (inter limb coordination) for such type of exercises
has likely increased rhythmic and timing skills, as well as
children’s inter-limb coordination and gross body coordi-
nation after 8 weeks of training (Orhan, 2013). On the
other hand, the greater reduction in performance time
found in the EG (about 9%), may not be supported only
by those enhancements, but also by an occurred muscular
adaptation.
Children were asked to execute five different exer-
cises in which were involved various steps (e.g.
Table 2. Changes in the composite score outcomes of the YBT-LQ before and after the training intervention
for each group. Data are mean (±SD).
Limb
Group
Before training
After training
P
Part η2
Right
Experimental
140.50 (16.28)
144.44 (17.36) *
.025 .208
Control
133.10 (12.99)
134.21 (11.65)
Left
Experimental
139.08 (18.62)
143.00 (17.83) *
.042 .175
Control
133.75 (11.94)
134.67 (12.15)
R, right leg; L, left leg; P, p-value; Part η
2
, eta partial squared. *Training-by-group significant interaction
for the composite score (p < 0.05).
Jump rope training in soccer
796
monopodalic, bipodalic and alternate) with consecutive
quick jumps. It is conceivable that such combinations of
steps and jumps (e.g. double under exercise) provided
shorter contact time and higher jump height (Makaruk,
2013). In particular, during JR muscle groups of the
thighs and crural regions are being stimulated to work
with a stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) contraction
(Miyaguchi et al., 2014b). The ability to increase contrac-
tile performance through a combination of eccentric and
concentric contractions underlies the mechanism of the
plyometric exercises in which a great power output is
produced over a brief period of time. Thus, although no
potential physical improvements were assessed in this
study (e.g. running speed, jumping height), it can be
speculated that 8 weeks of JR training may have led an
increase in SSC ability. This would have allowed children
to obtain substantial positive effects in turning tasks and
speed running (Miyaguchi et al., 2014a) as shown by their
performance during HCT. In support of this, previous
research has demonstrated that plyometric training can be
considered an effective alternative stimulus to improve
pre-planned agility (i.e. change of direction speed) out-
comes in young adult participants (Miller et al., 2006).
Furthermore, other authors demonstrated that jumping
rope was effective to improve SSC ability in athletes with
a little or no experience in exercises related to plyometrics
(Miyaguchi et al., 2014b). Children who participated in
the present research had never practiced with those type
of SSC exercises before they were enrolled. Thus, it can
be also hypothesized that the children’s initial unfamili-
arity with rope jump conditioning have highlighted a great
development in the trainability of their power perfor-
mance parameters (Michailidis et al., 2013). As regard
postural control outcomes, the EG exhibited a greater gain
in the composite reach scores for both lower limbs than
the CG after 8 weeks of training program. This difference
seems to reflect a relationship between continuous verti-
cal jumps and balance ability (Myer et al., 2006). Dynam-
ic balance helps athletes to conserve a more stable center
of gravity during deliberate activities or sport-specific
movements (Lockie et al., 2013). In particular, during
every single jump with turning the rope, the children had
to stabilize body segments against landing forces in a very
short time to maintain suitable the following motion. For
example, in the scissors step and alternate foot step exer-
cises, children performed rope rotations moving legs in
the sagittal plane. As a result, a great effort had to be done
to maintain the body stable during the combination of
upper and lower-body movements during flight, landing
and take-off phases. However, YBT-LW refers to a meas-
ure of balance with a unilateral stance. A recent study
corroborated that postural stability calculated immediately
(5-20 s after landing) after a jump landing cannot be relat-
ed to the postural stability obtained from a single leg
stance balance task (Fransz et al., 2014). Nevertheless, it
appears that significant increases found for both legs on
the composite score of the EG are due mostly to the en-
hancement in the motor coordination. On the other hand,
such increases can be also attributed to an improvement
of the neuromuscular control of lower limb muscle
groups, linked to the balance capacity (Ozer et al., 2011).
A major limitation of the present study is related to
the absence of physical tests assessing sprint or jump
performance. Outcomes from these tests would have
clearly supported the assumption about the use of JR
training to improve SSC ability. However, the inclusion
of such comparison was not part of the purpose of this
research. A further limitation of the present study is the
lacking of a maturation status assessment of all partici-
pants to provide actual outcomes from HCT and YBT-
LW. Although no differences were observed among
height, weight and body mass between EG and CG, soma-
tometrics characteristics may also influences strength and
power levels among preadolescent soccer players
(Michailidis et al., 2013). Further studies should be en-
couraged to introduce a measure of biological maturation
status (e.g. through non-invasive procedures) to corrobo-
rate or not our results.
However, the present research provided novel
findings in the field of science applied to soccer. They
indicate that jump rope training may have a supporting
role for improving motor coordination and balance per-
formance in preadolescent soccer players. The use of
alternative exercises, which are atypical of the engaged
sport (i.e. jumping rope) may allowed children to improve
important capacities such as coordination and balance.
For that reason, promoting such exercises within soccer-
specific program would be beneficial for motor develop-
ment during the sampling years. On the other hand, fur-
ther studies should be conducted to evaluate if the training
stimulus induced by JR may be transferred positively to
soccer technical skills.
Conclusion
Our findings suggested that incorporating JR protocol at
the beginning of training sessions was effective to im-
prove motor coordination and balance in preadolescent
soccer players over a period of 8 weeks. Thus, an inclu-
sion of physical activities in the form of jumping rope
exercises may be more beneficial rather than practicing
only soccer specific motor tasks. Coaches and strength
and conditioning professionals should be encouraged in
developing their training program with a combination of
general physical activities and sport-specific exercises.
Acknowledgements
Authors declare that the present study did not have any financial sup-
port.
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Key points
• Performing jumping rope exercises within a regular
soccer program can be an additional method to im-
prove balance and motor coordination.
• The performance improvement in the Harre Circuit
Test associated with jump rope training can poten-
tially be attributed to an enhancement of the inter-
limb coordination and SSC ability.
• Results from the present study indicate that young
soccer players should be encouraged to practice gen-
eral physical activities together with sport-specific
exercise during their training sessions.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Athos TRECROCI
Employment
a PhD student in Sport Science afferent to the Department of
Biomedical Sciences for Health at the Università degli Studi
di Milano
Degree
BSc, MSc, PhD Student
Research interests
Team sports conditioning programs, strength and condition-
ing training, talent identification, research methodology, and
performance analysis
E-mail: athos.trecroci@unimi.it
Luca CAVAGGIONI
Employment
Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health at the Univer-
sità degli Studi di Milano, Kinesiologist, Bodywork and
Breathing Therapist.
Degree
PhD Sports Sciences
Research interests
Balance training, strength and conditioning training, and
performance analysis
E-mail: luca.cavaggioni@unimi.it
Jump rope training in soccer
798
Riccardo CACCIA
Employment
Università degli Studi di Milano
Degree
Msc in Sport Science
Research interests
Testing and evaluation
E-mail: riccardo.caccia@unimi.it
Giampietro ALBERTI
Employment
Associate Professor of Exercise Sciences and Sport Activities
in the Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health at the
Università degli Studi di Milano.
Degree
PhD Sports Sciences
Research interests
Research methodology and performance analysis, Strength
and conditioning training
E-mail: giampietro.alberti@unimi.it
Athos Trecroci
Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, Università degli
Studi di Milano, Via G. Colombo, 71, 20133 – Milano, Italy
