The importance of peripheral vision in young football players: a mixed-methods study conducted in a sports club in Naples

The study evaluated the effectiveness of a visual-motor training program with interactive lights (Le Reactiva) in enhancing peripheral vision, physical self-efficacy, and collaboration in young soccer players (aged 8–16). Using a mixed-methods (quantitative-qualitative) design, 100 athletes were assigned to an experimental group (n = 50; training with lights) and a control group (n = 50; traditional training) for 12 weeks (3 sessions/week, 60 minutes), with activities differentiated by age group (8–10; 11–16). Quantitative measures included a peripheral reactivity test based on Le Reactiva, the Physical Self-Efficacy Scale for Children (PSES), and the Youth Sport Environment Questionnaire (YSEQ). The analysis showed a marked improvement in the experimental group compared to the control group: a 15–20% reduction in reaction time to peripheral stimuli (vs. <5% in the control group), an increase in physical self-efficacy of approximately +0.6 points on a scale of 1–5 (vs. +0.1), and an increase in team cohesion (YSEQ) in both the task component (+0.5) and the social component (+0.4) (vs. +0.1–0.2). Repeated measures ANOVA confirmed significant differences between groups for all variables (p < .01), while the group × age group interaction was not significant (p > .05), suggesting a cross-sectional effectiveness of the intervention in the two groups considered. Qualitative data converge in describing greater spatial awareness, decision-making speed, motivation, and cohesion in the experimental group. Overall, training with interactive lights appears to be a promising strategy for integrating perceptual-motor development and psychosocial dimensions into youth soccer training programs.