title: Changes in skill and physical fitness following training in talent-identified volleyball players.
abstract: This study investigated the effect of a skill-based training program on measurements of skill and physical fitness in talent-identified volleyball players. Twenty-six talented junior volleyball players (mean +/- SE age, 15.5 +/- 0.2 years) participated in an 8-week skill-based training program that included 3 skill-based court sessions per week. Skills sessions were designed to develop passing, setting, serving, spiking, and blocking technique and accuracy as well as game tactics and positioning skills. Coaches used a combination of technical and instructional coaching, coupled with skill-based games to facilitate learning. Subjects performed measurements of skill (passing, setting, serving, and spiking technique and accuracy), standard anthropometry (height, standing-reach height, body mass, and sum of 7 skinfolds), lower-body muscular power (vertical jump, spike jump), upper-body muscular power (overhead medicine-ball throw), speed (5- and 10-m sprint), agility (T-test), and maximal aerobic power (multistage fitness test) before and after training. Training induced significant (p < 0.05) improvements in spiking, setting, and passing accuracy and spiking and passing technique. Compared with pretraining, there were significant (p < 0.05) improvements in 5- and 10-m speed and agility. There were no significant differences between pretraining and posttraining for body mass, skinfold thickness, lower-body muscular power, upper-body muscular power, and maximal aerobic power. These findings demonstrate that skill-based volleyball training improves spiking, setting, and passing accuracy and spiking and passing technique, but has little effect on the physiological and anthropometric characteristics of players.
authors.affiliation: Athlete and Coach Support Services, Queensland Academy of Sport, Australia. tim.gabbett@qld.gov.au
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gabbett
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Georgieff
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Brad
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cotton
authors.forename: Darko
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Savovic
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nicholson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000886:Anthropometry; D006801:Humans; D009048:Motor Skills; D010806:Physical Education and Training / Q000379:methods*; D010809:Physical Fitness; D013177:Sports