<![CDATA[School-based football training may support students’ cognitive functioning, but variations in training intensity and recovery conditions may be associated with their concentration during learning. This study examined the relationship between football training intensity and learning concentration, with physical fatigue and sleep quality tested as indirect pathways.A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted among 89 eligible junior high school students participating in extracurricular football activities using a total sampling approach. Football training intensity and learning concentration were measured using researcher-developed scales, while physical fatigue and sleep quality were assessed using adapted versions of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) Multidimensional Fatigue Scale and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), respectively. Data were analyzed using path analysis with bootstrapping. Training intensity showed a significant positive direct association with learning concentration (β = 0.097, p = 0.002). The indirect pathway through physical fatigue was significant (β = 0.057, p = 0.015), whereas the pathway through sleep quality was not significant (β = 0.005, p = 0.716). Physical fatigue was positively associated with learning concentration (β = 0.506, p < 0.001), while sleep quality was not significantly associated with learning concentration (β = 0.045, p = 0.714). The model explained 44.9% of the variance in learning concentration (R² = 0.449). These findings provide preliminary evidence that training intensity and physical fatigue are associated with learning concentration, while highlighting the importance of considering training and recovery conditions when managing school-based football activities.]]>
