Effect of balance training on agility in adolescent volleyball players

Abstract

To study the effect of active, intensive and dynamic balance training on improving the agility of young volleyball players and comparing effectiveness of the training with gender difference. Study design was a one group pre- post-test design. Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, 30 young healthy volleyball players in the age group of 17 to 23 years from Agricultural College and research Institute, Thanjavur, Tamilnadu. There were 15 boys and 15 girls. Anthropometric measurements were taken and Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated for every participant. All the children underwent structured intensive balance training for 4 weeks (6 days/week). Pre and post training t-test of agility assessment was done. Paired t-test applied to see the difference in the performance pre and post training in agility. Unpaired t-test was applied to compare between the pre and post values of the male and female population. Paired t-test, pre and post values of t-test of agility showed significant difference (p<0.05) and unpaired t-test was applied to compare between the pre and post values of male and female population, whereas when compared between boys and girls it did not show clinically significant difference. As per statistical analysis using paired t-test, balance training has a significant impact in improving agility of the young volleyball players. When compared within the groups using unpaired t-test, there was no statistically significant change seen in performance in both boys and girls, but clinically girls showed improvement in agility. Study shows that balance training is effective in improving agility. Clinically females performed better than males but change in performance was not statistically significant. Hence, it can be concluded that balance training is equally effective in improving agility for both genders.