Combined core stability and flexibility training program improves functional movement and agility in youth soccer players

Purpose: Youth soccer requires rapid multidirectional movements supported by trunk stability and joint mobility. Deficits incore stability and flexibility are associated with inefficient motor patterns and injury risk. This study examined whether anintegrated core stability and flexibility program could improve functional movement quality and agility in under-12 soccerplayers. Methods: A non-randomized controlled trial was conducted with 28 male players (10.8 ± 0.4 years), divided into an interventiongroup (INT, n = 14) and a control group (CON, n = 14). Over 6 weeks, the INT group completed two weekly sessions with15 min of core stability and 15 min of flexibility work integrated into training, while the CON group continued ball-relatedactivities and standard cool-downs. Functional movement was assessed using the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) test,while agility was measured with the T-test. All athletes completed the CR-10 Borg Scale after each training session. Datawere analyzed using two-way ANOVA and a linear mixed-effects model (significance set at p < 0.05). Results: The INT group demonstrated significant improvements in all FMS components (p ≤ 0.019) and T-test (p < 0.001),while the CON group showed no meaningful changes. Training load did not differ significantly between groups, suggestingthat improvements were attributable to the specific intervention rather than overall workload. Conclusion: This study shows that a brief core stability and flexibility program can enhance movement quality and agility inyouth soccer players. Future research should use randomized designs, larger samples, and longer follow-up to confirm thesefindings and assess relevance to female athletes and other age groups.