Fundamental movement skills in grassroots soccer: A comparative study of coaches’ perceptions and practices in 9 European countries

Abstract

Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) are proven to be beneficial for development across sports domains, including soccer. Grassroots soccer provides a substantial platform to promote and develop FMS. However, coaches often have limited knowledge about FMS. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the perceptions and practices of FMS among grassroots soccer coaches across nine European countries and various coaching profiles. This study surveyed 1055 grassroots coaches from 9 countries based on prior studies to understand their perceptions and practices regarding FMS. Firstly, 14 questions were divided into three components with a Principal Component Analysis to enable clearer analysis: ‘Coaching Effectiveness,’ ‘Influencing Factors,’ and ‘Importance of FMS.’ The second phase involved comparing countries and coaching profiles to see how perceptions and practices varied by coaches’ expertise, experience, and the age group they coach. Kruskal-Wallis group comparisons revealed varied awareness and understanding of FMS among grassroots coaches in nine European countries (p < 0.001). Post-hoc results showed that perceptions and practices were influenced more by coaching experience (p < 0.01) and the age group coached (p < 0.01) rather than qualifications. Coaches with over 10 years of experience and those working in the fundamental phase (U7-U12) recognized the benefits of FMS to a greater extent. While FMS awareness exists, deep understanding and practical implementation remain challenging. Differences between countries suggest a unified approach to FMS in coach education is missing. Strengthening FMS education will ensure that grassroots coaches are better equipped to develop young players, ultimately contributing to more effective long-term player development.