A. Lednitski¹
L. Dolezhaeva¹
T. Gallova^2
1Faculty of Physical Education and Sports, University, Comenius Bratislava, Slovakia
²Bulls Kapfenberg, Austria

Keywords: junior basketball players, U14-class basketball players in Slovak national team, physicality test.

Background. Recommendations for one or another sport career to be chosen shall be based on a scientific analysis of the individual resource including the body morpho-functional characteristics, physical qualities and coordination abilities. Progress of a junior athlete in the modern basketball sport is largely determined by the individual tactical-decision-making ability in rapidly changing game situations, game vision and prediction ability, and his emotions control ability tested in extreme competitive environments (Velenský, Karger, 1999; Perič, 2006). The players’ eventual response abilities in the modern team sports shall be rated by regular tests. As provided by Šubladze, Zeľďovič (1971) and Erčulj, Dežman, Vučković and Bračič (2007), players’ physicality tests and progress monitoring shall be run on a systemic basis in modern basketball teams to profile variations of the key physical qualities and thereby facilitate improvements in the competitive teamwork.

Objective of the study was to rate the somatic and physical qualities of the U14-class junior (13-14 years old) basketball players qualified for the Slovak national team (prospects’ group) versus those of the same-age non-sporting residents of the Slovak Republic.

Methods and structure of the study. Tested under the study were 13-14 year-old basketball players (n=42), with the tests selected based on vast professional experience, available research literature on the subject and expert opinions. The players’ anthropometrical characteristics were rated including body length, body mass, and body mass index (BMI); and physicality was rated by 20m sprint test; 20m dribbling sprint (ball control) test; 10x5m shuttle sprint test; arms-assisted high jump test; and submaximal 20m repeated sprint (endurance rating) test. Subjects were given a few attempts for every test and only the best attempt was recorded. The speed rating test data were obtained by photocells-using systems; and the leg explosive strength was rated using Fitro Jumper ergometer. The test data were processed by a standard statistical toolkit.

Study results and discussion. Body length is known to be a genetically predetermined index largely immune to external impacts; in the study sample it was found to vary in the wide range of V_R = 42cm. Body mass as a more varied and controllable parameter was found to vary in the wider range of 49.5kg: see Table 1.

Talbe 1. Somatic rates of the junior basketball players (п = 42)

 Having compared the above study data with the average rates reported for the SR population (Sedláček, Cihová, 2009), we found the subject players equally classifiable the ‘average’, ‘above the average’ and ‘far above the average’ groups, albeit it should be noted that these rates are widely variable in the puberty period. The test data were processed by a statistical toolkit (see Table 2) to furnish the Slovak national team coaches with a set of qualification criteria to select prospects for the team. 

Table 2. Statistical test data of the junior basketball players

The study data arrays showed a few close correlations as provided in Table 4 hereunder. Highlighted in Table 4 are the physical qualities that shall be in priority in the training system design.

Table 4. Correlations of the 14 year-old basketball players’ sensorimotor responses with the other physicality test data

Conclusion

• We recommend the speed rating 20m dribbling sprint test as the most informative one for this age group for the reason that it fairly tests individual speed qualities and ball handling skills on a straight move. An expanded version of the test may be applied for special studies to rate the key athletic functions.
• Neither of the even highly developed physical qualities may guarantee a high quality of the game and, hence, shall be considered only as an important prerequisite for potential sport accomplishments.
• In the senior age group, leg explosive strength is recommended to be developed by both 10-second and 30-second jump exercises.
• High priority in the players selection for the national team shall be given to multisided tests and examinations to rate the individual qualities and capacities. Such tests shall be designed on an integrated basis to obtain both general physicality rates and special test rates indicative of the individual technical and tactical abilities and skills of each player.

References

1. Erculj F., Dezman B., Vuckovic G., Bracic M. Testing and evaluating the motor potential of young basketball players during the 2007. FIBA international basketball camp in Postojna. University of Ljubljana: Faculty of Sport.
2. Peric T.  Selection of talents for sport. Prague: Grada. ISBN 80-247-1827-8
3. Sedlacek J., Cihova I. Sport metrology. Bratislava: ICM Agency, 124 p. ISBN 978-80-89257-15-7
4. Velensky M., Karger a J. Basketball. Prague: Grada. ISBN978-80-7169-834-0

Corresponding author: ninakond@mail.ru

Abstract

Physical qualities of the junior U14-class basketball players in the Slovak Republic (SR) are presently tested on an irregular basis. Subject to one of the first comprehensive test study was a U14-class group of basketball players (n=42). Objective of the study was to rate the somatic and physical qualities of the U14-class junior basketball players versus the same-age non-sporting residents of the SR. The physical qualities were rated by the following tests: 20m sprint test; 20m dribbling sprint test; submaximal 20m repeated sprint (endurance rating) test; and high jump with a counter move test. The study showed the need for somatic health data to be complemented by hypodermic fat and biological age rating tests. We found the somatic health data being in correlation with the test rates. The best group result (Q3) in the 20m sprint test made up 3.16s. This group included 13 players with nearly half of them being smaller-than-average. In the 20m dribbling sprint test, the best test rate (Q3 = 3.36s) was achieved by three players who were not among the best in the 20m sprint test. In the endurance-rating test, 10 players were ranked with group Q1 (62 20m runs) and 11 players were ranked with the best group Q3 (81 20m runs). Average result in the high jump with a counter move test was 30.88cm, with the worst result of 19.1cm scored by a 169cm-tall player. The same player was the worst in the speed-rating test; whilst a 177-cm-tall athlete who was also among the best in the speed-rating test achieved the best result of 43.7cm in the high jump with a counter move test. The study data and analyses give the grounds to recommend the integrated physical progress tests for application in basketball teams for a few years versus the individual game success rates.