Preparation, Exercising, and Motivation in Sports Practice during COVID-19 Pandemic among Young Football Players in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Covid-19 outbreak has also led to significant changes in football, such as the suspension of leagues, isolation, and the fact that football players are forced to train on their own. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if there were differences in the level of preparation, practices, and motivation for athletic training among young professional football players during the Covid-19 pandemic, depending on the level of competition. The sample of respondents consisted of 82 young football players from Bosnia and Herzegovina, divided into the first league group (n=47, 18.30±0.62 age) and the second league group (n=35, 17.66±0.73 age). The questionnaire for sports preparation and training (SPEQ) was used, which consists of 11 items and was created according to the existing questionnaire for self-assessment of the level of preparation and type of training of athletes during the training process in the Covid-19 pandemic. Also, a questionnaire on sports motivation during the Covid-19 pandemic was used, consisting of 18 items related to motivation to participate in sports, modified according to the Participation Motivation Questionnaire (PMQ). A five-point Likert scale was used for the questionnaire. The questionnaire was available in electronic form and was sent to the football players through a Google form. The difference was found only in the frequency of the type of exercise in two variables, while there were no differences between the groups of young football players in the other variables of training frequency, level of preparation, and motivation in sports training. It was also established that despite the Covid-19 situation, the motivation for sports training among young football players was at a very high level.