Application of Virtual Reality Program to Improve Individual Skills for Soccer Players

Xiaoping Ai; Wisute  Tongdecharoen; Thongchat Phucharoen

doi:10.60027/ijsasr.2024.4159

Authors

Xiaoping Ai Faculty of Sports Science and Technology, Bangkokthonburi University, Thailand https://orcid.org/0009-0003-1977-7119
Wisute Tongdecharoen Faculty of Sports Science and Technology, Bangkokthonburi University, Thailand https://orcid.org/0009-0008-5233-7533
Thongchat Phucharoen Faculty of Sports Science and Technology, Bangkokthonburi University, Thailand https://orcid.org/0009-0008-2601-7755

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.60027/ijsasr.2024.4159

Keywords:

Virtual Reality;, Soccer; , Individual skill

Abstract

Background and Aim: This study takes the application of VR technology in soccer training as the research object and is expected to achieve the following research objectives: 1. To study the influence of VR technology on soccer heading and 、free kick and shooting accuracy of college soccer. 2. To compare the mean values between the experimental group and the control group.3. To compare the mean values within the experimental group; pre-test, after the 3^rd and 9^th weeks.

Materials and Methods: This paper utilizes the literature method, experimental method, mathematical statistics method, questionnaire method, and scale measurement method to study the application of VR technology in soccer training. 48 sophomore students in the 2020 soccer option class of Nanchang University were randomly divided into the VR experimental group (22), and the control group (26). After a 9-week experimental study, we successfully completed the experimental procedures, The data obtained from the questionnaire survey and experiments were analyzed and interpreted in depth using the SPSS software package. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, and analysis of variance were mainly used to analyze the collected information. and drew the following conclusions through the statistics and analysis of the experimental results:

Results: 1. Soccer heading, free kick, and shooting accuracy were selected as the experimental indexes to test the personal technical ability of soccer players. In a comparison between the experimental and control groups, the VR experimental group showed highly significant differences in soccer heading, free kicks and shooting accuracy after 9 weeks of instructional training (p <0.001).2.The results of the paired t-test in the experimental group showed that: there was a highly significant difference between the pre and post-experimental comparisons of soccer heading, free kicks and shooting accuracy(p < 0 .001).3.The results of the questionnaire for the Emotional Interest in Sport Scale showed that： at the end of the experiment, the VR training group scored higher than the control group on all questionnaires with a highly significant difference(p < 0 .001).

Conclusion: 1. The experimental group compared with the control group, individual soccer skills in the first phase of the traditional teaching after the progress of gall is not obvious; after the second phase of the VR technology teaching after the progress is very obvious, all three data show a highly significant difference.2. Both the experimental data and the survey investigation data show that the improvement of self-confidence and the improvement of individual soccer skills in real-life performance of the students in the experimental group before and after the experiment are very obvious.

References

Bliss, J., & Tidwell, P., & Guest, M. (1997). The Effectiveness of Virtual Reality for Administering Spatial Navigation Training to Firefighters. Presence. 6. 73-86. 10.1177/154193129503901412.

Dessing, J. C., & Craig, C. M. (2010). Bending It Like Beckham: How to Visually Fool the Goalkeeper. PLoS ONE, 5(10), -. Article e13161. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0013161

Gray, R. (2019). Virtual environments and their role in developing perceptual-cognitive skills in sports. In Routledge eBooks (pp. 342–358). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315146270-19

Hart, C. (2018). Doing Your Literature Review. Releasing the research imagination. 2nd edition, London: Sage.

Holden, M., & Dyar, T., (2002). Virtual Environment Training: A New Tool for Neurorehabilitation. Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy. 26 (2),62-71.

Onyesolu, Moses & Eze, Udoka. (2011). Understanding Virtual Reality Technology: Advances and Applications. In book: Advances in Computer Science and Engineering. Doi: 10.5772/15529.

Kozak, J., Hancoc, K. P., Arthur, E., & Chrysler, S. (1993). Transfer of training from virtual reality. Ergonomics,36(7),777–84.

Le, N., Polman, R., Maloney, M., & Gorman, A. (2022). A narrative review of the current state of extended reality technology and how it can be utilized in sports. Sports Med, 52, 1–17.

Liu, Q.Y. (2015). Analysis of the integrated application of VR technology and football teaching. Contemporary Sports Technology,5 (11),77-78.

Long, H., French, D., & Brooks, J. (2020). Optimizing the value of the critical appraisal skills program (CASP) tool for quality appraisal in qualitative evidence synthesis. Research Methods in Medicine & Health Sciences. 1 (1), 263208432094755. Doi:10.1177/2632084320947559.

Miles, H.C., Pop, S.R., Watt, S.J., Lawrence, G.P., & John, N.W. (2012). A review of virtual environments for training in ball sports. Computers & Graphics, 36(6), 714–726. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cag.2012.04.007

Ministry of Education. (2012). The Implementation Opinions on Accelerating the Development of Youth Campus Football. National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Finance, State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, General Administration of Sport, the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League. http://www.moe.gov.cn/srcsite/A17/moe_938/s3273/201508/t20150811_199309. html.

Moritz, S., Feltz, D., Fahrbach, K., & Mack, D. (2000). The Relation of Self-Efficacy Measures to Sports Performance: A Meta-Analytic Review. Research quarterly for exercise and sport. 71. 280-94. 10.1080/02701367.2000.10608908.

Murgia, M., Sors, F., Muroni, A. F., Santoro, I., Prpic, V., Galmonte, A., & Agostini, T. (2014). Using perceptual home-training to improve anticipation skills of soccer goalkeepers. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 15(6), 642–648. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2014.07.009

Neumann, D.L., Moffitt, R.L., Thomas, P.R., Loveday, K., Watling, D.P., &Lombard, C.L. (2018). A systematic review of the application of interactive virtual reality to sport. Virtual Real 22(3),183–198.

Song, Z.H., Kong, F.M., & Zhang, J. (2018). The application study of VR virtual reality technology to youth football tactical training in China. Youth Sports, (1), 65-66.

Wood, G., Wright, D.J., Harris, D., Pal, A., Franklin, Z.C., & Vine, S.J. (2021). Testing the construct validity of a soccer-specific virtual reality simulator using novice, academy, and professional soccer players. Virtual Reality, 25(1), 43–51.

Woodman, T., & Hardy, L. (2003). The Relative Impact of Cognitive Anxiety and Self-Confidence upon Sport Performance: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Sports Sciences, 21, 443-457. https://doi.org/10.1080/0264041031000101809

Zhong, F. (2013). Research on existing problems and countermeasures in college football teaching under the new situation. Youth and Society, 2, 173-173.