The Effects of Recreational Soccer and Basketball Games on Health-Related Physical Fitness Components among Secondary School Students: A Comparative Study

Abstract

This research aimed to investigate and compare the level of physical fitness among secondary school students at Fogera Secondary School after participating in recreational soccer and basketball games. This study used a quasi-experimental design. Forty students with an average age of 19.5 years were selected and divided into three groups: soccer, basketball, and control. The recreational soccer group had 14 participants (7 vs. 7), the basketball group had 12 participants (4 teams of 3 vs. 3 on both half courts), and the control group had 14. The soccer and basketball groups participated in 12 weeks of recreational activity, with three 90-minute sessions per week. Paired t-tests and one-way ANOVA followed by post-hoc tests were used for analysis at both pre- and post-intervention stages. Both recreational soccer and basketball programs showed significant improvements in cardiovascular endurance and flexibility. Performance on the 12-minute run test and sit-and-reach test was significantly better in both intervention groups compared to the control group