Coaches’ and Young soccer players' training load perceptions during different training phases

Objective: To our Knowledge, information about the agreement between coaches’ and the young soccer players’ session rating of perceived exertion is not consistent during specific periods of training (intensification and taper) and has not been established. The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the internal training load and session rating of perceived exertion between coaches’ and young soccer players’ during three weeks in different training phases. Method: Participants were 16 male elite Under19 soccer players and their coaches. Before each training session, the coaches reported a session rating of perceived exertion using the Borg CR-10 scale as well as the planned duration (min) of the training based on prior planning, while the athletes responded the scale after each training session. Results: No differences in intensity session rating of perceived exertion (t = 0.49; p = 0.62) and training load (t = 0.18; p = 0.86) were observed between coaches and players during the training period analyzed. During different training phases, no significant differences were found during intensification (t = 0.18; p = 0.85) and taper (t = -0.19; p = 0.85) in training loads and in the session rating of perceived exertion prescribed by coaches and perceived by players. A very large correlation was observed between coaches training load (r= 0.84) and players training load. However, a trivial correlation was found between players training load and changes in the Yo-yo IR1 performance (r= -0.09), age (r= -0.06) and years of competitive experience (r= -0.08). Stepwise linear regression revealed that coaches training load (F1; 238= 582.7; R2= 0.710; p<0.001) explained 71% of the variance in players training load. Conclusion: The results suggest that the session rating of perceived exertion and training load prescribed during three weeks in different training phases (by coaches) was not different from perceived by young soccer players. Moreover, coaches training load seem to be effective to predict the training load in soccer players.