Dr. Hab., Professor G.N. Ponomarev¹
Dr. Hab., Professor E.N. Komissarova^2
1Herzen Russian State Pedagogical University, Saint Petersburg
²Saint Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University, Saint Petersburg

Keywords: somatotype, game position, age of motor qualities formation.

Background. Modern situational team sports, including handball, require from every player to develop an extensive motor skills set to attain every goal in attacks and defenses. Modern handball is rather versatile in the game actions provisionally classifiable by the individual game positions of functions, with some players traditionally specializing in long-range shooting, others in quick breakthroughs etc.

Objective of the study was to analyze the age- and somatotype-specific motor skills progress of teenage handball players by their game positions.

Methods and structure of the study. We sampled for the longitudinal study the 10-16 year-old male handball players (n=46) with under 7 years of sports experience. We used R.N. Dorokhov (1991) anthropometric test method with a computerized somatotyping capacity; finger dermatoglyphics (patterning) method to obtain delta index (DL10), ridge count (RC); ridge count to DL10 ratio (RC/ DL10); standard clinical physiological test methods; bioimpedance tests using "Diamant-AIST" Body Composition Analyzer; and traditional motor skills test methods.

Results and discussion. Based on the prior tests, the sample was provisionally split up into two groups: midfielders and wingers. We used the Dorokhov (1991) somatotyping test to rate the 10-13 year-old midfielders with mostly macrosomatic type (74-82%); and the 14-15 year-old midfielders with mesosomatic type (43-62%). The 10-13 year-old wingers were rated with macrosomati, mesosomatic and micromesosomatic types, with their percentages virtually equal; whilst the 14-16 year-old midfielders were mostly grouped with micromesosomatic type (53.8-85%) followed by mesosomatic type (15.4-46%) due to the pubertal growth variations – in agreement with the study data reported by E.N. Komissarova, T.V. Panasyuk (2009). It should be mentioned that a somatotype formation in ontogenesis is dominated by multidirectional age-specific changes in the body length and mass.

The 11–12 year-olds’ training systems traditional for the Children and Youth Sport Schools (CYSS) give a special priority to the teamwork, spatial orientation, action speed and movement coordination qualities and skills at the beginner training stage, with an individual progress normally managed based on the physical fitness tests. The 11–12 year-olds’ physical fitness test set includes: 30m sprint; 100m shuttle sprint; standing long jump; and standing handball throw tests; and the 13-15 year-olds’ test set includes: 20m sprint; 20m handball control and standing long jump tests. And the 16 year-olds’ test set includes: 30m spring, 30m handball control; and triple jump tests.

Our 7-year longitudinal study found the speed and dexterity evenly and significantly growing in both groups (p≤0.05). We used a factorial analysis to find correlations between the morphological and functional parameters and growth of motor skills in the sample.

Tests of the 11 year-old wingers found the first factor (43.9%) indicative of the speed and dexterity (tested by the 30m sprint and shuttle run tests) growing in correlation with the somatotype and body-mass-and-length index (r = 0.38-0.53). In their midfielder peers, the first factor (45.1%) showed the speed and dexterity growing in correlation with the dynamic strength of the upper and lower limbs (tested by the handball throw and standing long jump tests) (r = 0.51-0.79).

Tests of the 12 year-old wingers found the first factor (43.6%) indicative of the running qualities growing in correlation with the somatotype and body-mass-and-length index (r = 0.47-0.53). In their midfielder peers, the first factor (47.2%) showed the speed and dexterity growing in correlation with their hereditary predisposition marker (RC/ DL10) (r = 0.48-0.84).

Tests of the 13 year-old wingers found the first factor (38.45%) indicative of the movement coordination (30m handball control test) and lower-limb dynamic strength (standing long jump test) growing in correlation with the hereditary predisposition marker (RC/ DL10) and energy resource (r=0,31-0,59). In their midfielder peers, the first factor (25.1%) showed their handball control skills and lower-limb speed-strength qualities growing in correlation with the somatotype and body-mass-and-length index (r=0.28-0.31).

When the handball players reach 13-15 years of age, the sports schools would split them up into the progress-specific groups based on their progress tests at the beginner training stage. This qualification is timed to the key period of the boys’ ontogenesis (the pubertal period) with its fast growth and body shaping aspects.

The 13-15 year-old wingers were classified with the mesosomatic and micromesosomatic types. Their progress was tested by the 20m sprint, 20m handball control and standing long jump tests. The mesosomatic type was tested with the highest progress in speed-strength (8.58% and 8.43% in the 20m sprint and standing long jump tests, respectively) and dexterity (18.6% growth in the 20m handball control test). Note that the physical progress of this age group is limited by 1.78-3.33% in the other tests. As for the 13-15 year-old micromesosomatic type wingers group, they were tested with the highest progress in the 20m handball control and standing long jump test (10.5% and 3.42%, respectively).

The 13-15 year-old midfielders were classified with the macrosomatic and mesosomatic types; and their 14-15 year-old peer group was found admixed by the intermediate micromesosomatic type. The macrosomatic type was tested with the highest progress in the speed–strength qualities (6.03-5.67%) and dexterity (11.6%) at 13-14 years of age. The 13-14-year-old mesosomatic type group showed a high progress only in the movement coordination skills (5.5%); followed at 14-15 years of age by a special progress in the speed-strength qualities (3% in the 20m sprint test and 5.66% in the standing long jump test). And the 14-15 year-old micromesosomatic type showed a high progress in the 20m handball control and standing long jump tests (6.0% and 8.3%, respectively).

The 14 year-old wingers were tested with the movement coordination (as verified by the first factor of 36.4%) being correlated with the genetic marker (RC/ DL10) (r = 0.24-0.32). Their midfield peers were also tested with the movement coordination growth correlated with the genetic marker (r = 0.2-0.26) as verified by the first factor (31.2%).

The 15 year-old wingers were tested with the movement coordination and speed-strength growth closely correlated (r = 0.51-0.85) with the body mass-and-length index and explosive strength of the nervous system (the first factor of 48%). Their midfield peers were tested (first factor of 41.9%) with progress in the standing long jump, 20m sprint and 20m handball control tests correlated with the body mass-and-length index, hereditary predisposition marker and lower-limb explosive strength (r = 0.32-0, 84).

The 16 year-old wingers’ progress in the handball control and speed-strength qualities, as verified by the first factor (41.6%) was found closely correlated with the lower-limb explosive strength (r = 0.69-0.74) and hereditarily resource (r = 0.8). Their midfield peer group was tested with the ‘functional’ first factor (40%) that covers the nervous system functionality and finger dermatoglyphics predictors (RC/ DL10) (r = 0.48-0.84). The second factor (25.8%) for this group showed the coordination and speed-strength growth correlated with the somatotype, active cellular mass and response to moving object (r = 0.24-0.67).

Conclusion. The study found that the 10-16 year-old handball players’ progresses should be tested with consideration for their game positions. This age period was tested quite heterogeneous in the physical qualities and motor skills formation and growth stages correlated with the individual somatotypes.

References

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Corresponding author: g-ponomarev@ inbox.ru

Abstract

Modern situational team sports, including handball, require from every player to develop an extensive motor skills set to attain every goal in attacks and defenses. Modern handball is rather versatile in the game actions provisionally classifiable by the individual game positions of functions, with some players traditionally specialized in long-range shooting, others in quick breakthroughs etc.

Objective of the study was to analyze the age- and somatotype-specific motor skills progress of teenage handball players by their game roles.

Methods and structure of the study. We sampled for the longitudinal study the 10-16 year-old male handball players (n=46) with the 7-minus-year sports experiences. We used R.N. Dorokhov (1991) anthropometric test method with a computerized somatotyping capacity; finger dermatoglyphics (patterning) method to obtain delta index (DL10), ridge count (RC); ridge count to DL10 ratio (RC/ DL10); standard clinical physiological test methods; bioimpedance tests using "Diamant-AIST" Body Composition Analyzer; and traditional motor skills test methods.

Results and conclusion. Based on the prior tests, the sample was provisionally split up into midfielders and wingers groups. We used the Dorokhov (1991) somatotyping test to group the 10-13 year-old midfielders with mostly macrosomatic type (74-82%); and the 14-15 year-old midfielders with mostly mesosomatic type (43-62%). The 10-13 year-old wingers were classified with macrosomatic, mesosomatic and micromesosomatic types, with their percentages virtually equal; whilst the 14-16 year-old midfielders were mostly grouped with the micromesosomatic type (53.8-85%) followed by mesosomatic type (15.4-46%). It should be mentioned that a somatotype formation in ontogenesis is dominated by multidirectional changes in body length and mass for this age groups.