title: Exposing athletes to playing form activity: outcomes of a randomised control trial among community netball teams using a game-centred approach.
abstract: This study evaluated whether exposing junior netball players to greater amounts of competition relevant activity (playing form activity) had an effect on game play outcomes and session involvement. A group-randomised controlled trial in one junior netball club in the Hunter Region, NSW, Australia. Ninety female athletes (mean age = 9.04 years, SD 1.53) were randomised by team (n = 11) into the intervention (n = 41) or 9-week wait-list control (n = 49) condition. The Professional Learning for Understanding Games Education into Sport (PLUNGE into Sport) programme was undertaken in the first half of nine training sessions (9 × 30 min). The intervention exposed athletes to playing form activity through a coach development programme within training sessions. Athletes' decision-making, support and skill outcomes during a small-sided invasion game, and session involvement (pedometer step/min), were measured at baseline and 9-week follow-up. Linear mixed models revealed significant group-by-time intervention effects (P < 0.05) for decision-making (d = 0.4) and support (d = 0.5) during game play, and in-session activity (d = 1.2). An intervention exposing athletes to greater levels of playing form activity, delivered via a coach education programme, was efficacious in improving athlete decision-making and support skills in game play and increasing athlete involvement during sessions.
authors.affiliation: a School of Education , University of Newcastle , Callaghan , NSW , Australia.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: b College of Physical Activity & Sport Sciences, Department of Coaching & Teaching Studies , West Virginia University , Morgantown , WV , USA.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.affiliation: c School of Sport Studies, Leisure & Nutrition , Liverpool John Moores University , Liverpool , UK.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Morley
authors.affiliation: d Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences , University of Tsukuba , Tsukuba , Japan.
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nemes
authors.affiliation: a School of Education , University of Newcastle , Callaghan , NSW , Australia.
authors.forename: Maggie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Janes
authors.affiliation: a School of Education , University of Newcastle , Callaghan , NSW , Australia.
authors.forename: Narelle
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Eather
mesh_terms: D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D003163:Competitive Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D003479:Curriculum; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000071252:Mentoring; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology; D010806:Physical Education and Training / Q000379:methods*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013177:Sports / Q000193:education / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology
keywords: Coaching; coach-development; community sport; junior sport; netball