Development of a Speed, Agility, and Quickness Training Program to Improve Kicking Skills in Youth Novice Taekwondo Athletes

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Background and Aim: Youth need to undergo physical training when learning Taekwondo because it is a sport with a high level of competition intensity. If young people lack physical fitness, they will find it difficult to effectively engage in this sport. Therefore, teachers should focus on physical training while teaching Taekwondo to youth, adopting effective measures to meet the goals of physical training. So, the main objective of this research was to study the effect of a speed, agility, and quickness training program to improve kicking skills for youth novice taekwondo players in a taekwondo club. Methodology: This research employed a mixed-method design to develop a speed, agility, and quickness training program aimed at improving the kicking skills of youth novice taekwondo players. The populations were 150 male taekwondo athletes aged 14–16 years, who were surveyed to determine the current situation and training needs. From this group, 30 male taekwondo athletes were selected for the experiment. Research instruments included a questionnaire (IOC=0.89), in-depth interviews with coaches (IOC=1.00) and experts, a focus group outline, and a connoisseurship outline. Independent sample t-tests to compare between-group differences, while repeated measures ANOVA was employed to compare within-group differences across testing phases. Qualitative data was analyzed through content analysis. Results: 1) After eight weeks of implementing the speed, agility, and quickness training program, the pre-test results showed no significant differences between the control and experimental groups in Front kick, Side kick, Push kick, and Downward kick (p > .05), except for the Hook kick where the control group performed better (7.06±1.22 vs. 6.00±0.84, p = .01). However, post-test results revealed that the experimental group achieved significantly higher mean scores than the control group across all five kicking skills, including Front kick (17.46±1.50 vs. 13.06±1.48, t = 8.055, p < .01), Side kick (16.93±0.79 vs. 10.26±0.59, t = 25.944, p < .01), Push kick (13.00±0.89 vs. 9.46±0.51, t = 13.817, p < .01), Hook kick (13.66±0.89 vs. 8.20±1.26, t = 13.640, p < .01), and Downward kick (24.33±1.17 vs. 15.46±1.24, t = 20.051, p < .01). Repeated measures ANOVA further confirmed significant improvements over time in all skills (Front kick: p < .01; Side kick: p < .01; Push kick: p < .01; Hook kick: p < .01; Downward kick: p < .01). These findings indicate that the program effectively enhanced overall kicking performance in novice youth taekwondo players. Conclusion: The program has a clear structure, practical feasibility, and alignment with sports science principles. Its key strengths lie in its progressive design, the integration of SAQ with kicking skills, emphasis on safety, and motivation for young athletes.

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Related topics: Sports and Physical Education Research · Martial Arts: Techniques, Psychology, and Education · IoT-based Control Systems