Youth Soccer Development After a Forced Training Interruption: A Retrospective Analysis of Prepubertal Players

This retrospective, non-interventional study investigated the impact of a forced training interruption, such as the COVID-19 nationwide lockdown, on the physical efficiency, performance, and technical-agility skills of prepubertal soccer players by comparing pre- and post-interruption cohorts within the same youth academy and at the same chronological age. Anonymised data collected across multiple competitive seasons included anthropometric measures and motor performance tests: Standing Long Jump, Shuttle Run, Shuttle Dribble, and Mini Cooper. Between-group differences were analysed using Mann-Whitney U tests, with p < 0.05 as the level of significance. The post-training interruption cohort showed significantly higher values in the Standing Long Jump (+11.2%, p < 0.001) and the Shuttle Run (+8.0%, p = 0.011), indicating improved explosive power and agility-speed. Conversely, performance on the Shuttle Dribble test declined by 13.4% (p < 0.001), while Mini Cooper results and BMI did not differ significantly. These findings suggest that modifications to compulsory training and children's natural adaptability may have enhanced physical abilities, whereas the lack of contextual and interactive practice negatively affected technical-agility skills. Coaches should incorporate alternative workouts to maintain motor performance and emphasise ball-related and decision-making drills within ecological and dynamic environments to maximise developmental outcomes. This study offers new insights into the adaptive responses of young athletes and provides practical lessons for future youth soccer development, particularly during periods of forced training interruption.