To better understand the benefits of using analogy and explicit instructions, the underlying cognitive mechanism remains to be explored. The concept of chunking provides a promising approach to the cognitive mechanism of instructions and can be approximated by analyzing athletes’ mental representations. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of analogy and explicit instructions on performance and the cognitive representations of the tennis serve in intermediate participants over the course of a 5-week training period. Junior tennis players (N = 44; M = 11.5 years) were tested on their tennis serve and, based on their initial performance and their individual error patterns, assigned to one of three groups: an analogy group (N = 15), an explicit group (N = 15), or a control group (N = 14). Their performance and their mental representation structures were assessed prior to and after the 5-week training period and again after a retention period of 14 days. Independent of group, findings demonstrated higher velocity from pretest to posttest. Participants in both the analogy and the explicit group showed enhanced accuracy over time and more functional mental representation structures. Thus, both analogy instruction and explicit instruction helped to structure mental representations in their long-term memory.

Soccer competitions in childhood should ensure a high involvement of all players regardless of their talent. The purpose of the present study was to compare soccer players’ technical actions and playing time parameters in 7v7 in comparison to 3v3 (on mini-goals without goalkeepers; under-7) and 5v5 (on 1.65 × 5 m. goals with goalkeepers; under-9) game formats in a competitive context. Using a quasi-experimental within-subject design, tournaments with under-7 ( n = 42) and under-9 ( n = 43) players were conducted. Technical actions and playing time parameters were rated. Based on the total number of technical actions in 7v7, median splits of the samples were conducted to compare differences between high-involved (dominant) and low-involved (non-dominant) players. No differences in the effective playing time comparing game formats within the age groups were found. In total, 7884 technical actions were rated. In both age groups, the total number of technical actions was higher in the smaller game formats. In under-7, the number of technical actions in all variables was higher in 3v3. In under-9, the number of technical actions was also higher in 5v5 except for unsuccessful passes as well as successful 1v1 situations. More unsuccessful 1v1 situations were found in 7v7. Concerning the total number of technical actions, both dominant and non-dominant players in both age groups performed more technical actions in small-sided games. Due to the higher involvement of the children, better conditions for the acquisition of soccer-specific skills in the smaller game formats compared to 7v7 game formats can be concluded.