Abstract / Summary
This study examined the monitoring and testing practices in South Korean professional football clubs (SKPFC) and the challenges practitioners face. Twenty strength and conditioning (S&C) coaches completed an online survey comprising 18 closed-ended and 3 open-ended questions. The survey addressed four main areas: (a) background information, (b) monitoring practice, (c) testing practice, and (d) challenges and barriers associated with these practices. Frequency analysis was used for closed-ended responses, while thematic analysis was applied to open-ended responses. Following the survey, six coaches took part in semi-structured interviews to provide deeper insight into the challenges affecting monitoring and testing practices. The survey revealed that all practitioners reported using monitoring strategies to manage player workloads (100%). Most practitioners (90%) also reported conducting physical testing to establish baseline data for rehabilitation and return-to-play processes. Strength, power, speed, and change of direction speed were assessed more frequently during the preparatory phase and less often during the competitive phase. Open-ended survey findings indicated that a lack of staffing (65%) was the most frequently reported challenge affecting monitoring and testing practices. Other key barriers included difficulty obtaining coach buy-in for GPS-derived data (15%) and limited organisational resources (10%). These findings suggest that organisational structure, staffing levels, and communication between performance staff and coaches influence the implementation of monitoring and testing strategies in professional football environments. The results provide insight into the current practices and challenges within SKPFC, allowing practitioners and organisations to reflect on and compare their own monitoring and testing approaches.