Relationship between kicking and sprinting performance

Kicking is one of the most vital skills in soccer and strength and power share importance in the explosive movement of top level play. The full instep – kick is one of the kicks typically used to generate fastball speed. Twenty-seven Croatian national football team members (U-15) (mean (SD) age 15.8 (2.9) years, height 173.5 (5.5) cm, weight 62.1 (5.4) kg took part in the study, and performed sprint tests and kicking performance test (measured by radar gun, Stalker-Pro, Texas). The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between kicking performance and sprinting performance, using field performance tests. Kicking performance correlated with sprinting performance in all four sprinting variables (r = 0.49 to 0.54; p<0.05) and body mass (r =0, 53, p<0, 05). SRA revealed a simple solution with sprint distance of over 30m and body mass as significant predictors variables, which explained 52, 6 % of kicking performance. Using a radar gun to measure the velocity of a soccer kick is a reliable test of kicking performance. Some motor abilities, also important to the basis of sprinting and kicking performance, are related. Players who perform well on sprinting test are also likely to be successful in kicking performance tests. A sprint of over 30m is one of the most important indicators of kicking performance efficiency.