Effect of the station training program on agility in youth futsal players

Agility is a key skill in futsal, where players constantly move and change direction throughout the game. To improve this ability, a high-quality training program is essential. However, a study found that the current futsal training program at Changklang Prachanukul School has not been effective in boosting players’ agility. This research aimed to develop and compare the effects of a station training program on the agility of students enrolled in the futsal course. The sample group consisted of 26 students enrolled in the futsal course at Changklang Prachanukul School, selected through simple random sampling, and divided into two groups of 13 students each. The experimental group was trained using the station training program, which the researcher created, while the control group followed the regular training program for 8 weeks, three days a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday). The Illinois Agility Test was used to assess agility. For data analysis, the Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compare mean agility scores between groups pre-test and post-test, and the Wilcoxon Matched-Pairs Signed-Rank Test was used to compare mean agility scores within each group before and after training. The results revealed that the station training program was of high quality and appropriate. Moreover, after 8 weeks of training, both the experimental and control groups demonstrated significantly improved agility compared to their pre-training levels. In addition, the experimental group demonstrated significantly greater agility than the control group at the P < 0.05 level of statistical significance. These findings serve as a guideline for developing fundamental physical fitness in futsal players and can benefit athletes, coaches, and individuals interested in futsal in the future.