Journal of Physical Education and Sports Management

Relationship between Sprinting, Change of Direction and Jump Ability in Young Male Athletes
Ilias Zapartidis, Vasilia Makroglou, Magdalini Kepesidou, Ana Milacic, Aliki Makri

Abstract
Objectives: Τo identify the relationship between sprinting, jump ability and change of direction, in a large sample of young male handball players. Methods: 151 handball players (13.39 ± 0.61 yrs, height 1.67 ± 0.09 m, weight 60.90 ± 12.29 kg) performed a series of motor tests: sprinting (5-m, 10-m & 30-m), jumping ability (standing long jump and jump-and-reach), 5-0-5 agility, 30-m dribble and defensive sliding movement. Results: The main findings of the study indicate different levels of correlation coefficients among acceleration (5 and 10-m), sprinting ability in 30-m, jumping ability and changes of direction with and without the ball. Coefficient of determination showed that only six of the bivariate distributions could explain the association between the examined parameters with strength of more than 50%. Specifically, the coefficient of determination values between the linear sprints were the greatest (57.8–88.5%), followed by the respective one between the jump tests (85.6%). Jump tests showed a higher coefficient of determination with the 30-m sprint (standing long jump r2 = 63.2%, jump & reach r2 = 59.4%). The results of this study suggest that specific tests must be used for the performance evaluation of various motor skills.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/jpesm.v5n1a9