Break dance significantly increases static balance in 9 years-old soccer players

Static balance in young athletes is an important ability that has a relevant influence on their present and future sport performances, as well as on the reduction in risk of injury. The present study reports data collected on three homogeneous groups of 9 years-old athletes (n = 10 for each group), whose static balance was monitored every two months during an overall period of six months. At the beginning of the study, all of the children in each of the three groups were performing soccer activity with a frequency (three times a week) that was kept constant during the observation period. During the six months, group 1 maintained only the soccer activity, group 2 also performed swimming activity (twice a week) in parallel with the soccer activity, while group 3 started, at month 2, to perform soccer activity with a break dance course (twice a week). Double leg stance (with eyes open and closed) and single leg stance (on dominant and non-dominant leg) tests were performed using a force platform, and the COP area calculated for each trial. Results show a clear decrease in the soccer + break dance players COP area values during the six months, suggesting an improvement in their static balance. The difference was significantly greater with respect to that of soccer players and soccer + swimming players. This was evident in all the tests performed starting from two months after the break dance activity began. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.