title: Anthropometric and performance measures to study talent detection in youth volleyball.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this work was to study anthropometric and performance measurements in 60 young male volleyball players (YV) and 60 youth not active in the sport (YNA) to assess which of these would be more useful to study the characteristics of potential performers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight measures to assess anthropometric characteristics, six performance measures and two tests for joint mobility were used. Also relative age and level of maturation were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The anthropometric variables, relative age and level of maturation measured did not show statistically significant differences between groups. The YV and YNA groups showed differences in the performance measures. YV group was characterized by a better performance of the ability to repeat short sprints, of the upper limbs, abdominal muscles and lower limbs, with a medium effect size (Shuttle Running Test: 0.6; Push-Up: 0.5; Sit-Up: 0.4; counter movement jump: 0.4). These performance variables were very sensitive and specific: the SRT measurement had the best positive likelihood ratio that indicates the utility of the test in identifying type of players (YV and YNA).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In talent detection in youth volleyball, in the 11-13 age range, performance variables should be preferred to anthropometric ones.
authors.affiliation: Department of Systems Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome, Italy.|Don Gnocchi Foundation IRCS, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Melchiorri
authors.affiliation: School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome, Italy - valerio.viero@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Viero
authors.affiliation: School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Triossi
authors.affiliation: Department of Systems Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Annino
authors.affiliation: Università Telematica S. Raffaele, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Elvira
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Padua
authors.affiliation: Department of Systems Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tancredi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods*; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology; D054798:Volleyball / Q000502:physiology*