Introduction. Handball and volleyball are among the world's popular sports, which are played practically in every country at different levels of competition. The aim of this study was to determine the differences in somatotype and morphological characteristics between young handball players and volleyball players as well as the differences in the results of functional body mobility tests between the tested groups. Material and Methods. The research included a sample of 23 female athletes who were divided into two subsamples, as follows. A total of 12 athletes were from the Handball team and a total of 11 athletes were from the Volleyball team. The following anthropometric measurements were conducted: Height and body mass, four skinfolds (triceps, subscapular, supraspinal and calf), breadths (humerus and femur diameters) and girths (arm and calf). Body mass (kg) and body fat (%) of the subjects were measured by the method of bioelectrical impedance (TANITA 545N) with an accuracy of 0.1 kg. Functional Movement Score is a scanning system which includes seven steps (i.e., deep squat, hurdle step, in-line lunge, shoulder mobility, active leg raise, trunk stability push-up, and rotary stability). Results. The results of the study in female handball players recorded a higher percentage of body fat and body mass index compared to female volleyball players (p <.05), while no statistically significant difference was recorded in body weight and height. Analyzing the somatotype of players, it is noticeable that handball players have higher values of endomorphism and mesomorphism, while volleyball players have higher values of ectomorphism. Statistically significant differences were observed in mesomorph and ectomorph (p <.001). In the Functional Movement Screen test, it was noticeable that statistically significant differences were recorded in the two variables (Shoulder mobility and trunk stability push up) in favor of the volleyball players, as well as in the overall standings, while in the other variables no statistically significant difference was recorded. Conclusions. Determining somatotype must occupy the attention of coaches who work with young athletes. Movement-based assessment serves to pinpoint functional deficits (or bio-markers) related to proprioceptive, mobility and stability weaknesses.

PURPOSE: To determine whether anthropometric measurements and fitness test results can discriminate between selected and non-selected junior volleyball players. METHODS: Forty three male junior volleyball players (age: 15.0±0.7 yrs) took part in training camp and underwent a selection procedure by coaches of the junior national team. Anthropometric data (body height, body mass and body height with extended arm) and fitness tests results (countermovement jump (CMJ), block jump, spike jump, 10m sprint and 505 agility test) were obtained. Four expert volleyball coaches of the national team evaluated and graded the players in a scale from 0 to 100 during their participation in a volleyball tournament. The coaches selected the best 23 players on the basis of their score (selected players; n=23, height: 186±5 cm, body mass: 72±10 kg) (non-selected; n=20, height: 188±3 cm, body mass: 69.5±7.5 kg). A linear discriminant analysis was conducted on the selected and non-selected groups to determine if the anthropometric and fitness test data could predict the coaches’ selection. Anthropometric and fitness test data of the two groups were compared using independent samples t-tests. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. RESULTS: Selected players had higher coaches’ scores compared to the non-selected (83.9±7.2 vs. 65.3±7.5, p<0.05). There were significant differences between selected and non-selected in only in vertical jumps (CMJ: 40.5±6.7 vs. 34.4±3.6 cm, block jump: 43.6±6.9 vs. 36.9±3.5 cm, spike jump: 72.8±10.3 vs. 63.4±3.8 cm, all p<0.05), but not in any other anthropometric or fitness test parameter. The multivariate analysis yielded a discriminant function (Wilk’s lambda= 0.69, χ2= 15.12, p=0.001, η2=0.12). CMJ was the main test result that highly loaded the discriminant function (r=0.85). Cross validation results showed that selection was correctly predicted in 31 out of the 43 selected athletes (predictive accuracy: 72.1%). CONCLUSIONS: Vertical jumping ability may be used as an important parameter that largely determines success, since it may discriminate between selected and non-selected junior volleyball players.

Physical activity barriers, particularly for the volleyball players of Angeles City, are one of the elements that hinder team cohesiveness for all athletes during this pandemic. According to research, there are many areas where the pandemic influences physical activity and team cohesiveness. The purpose of this study is to ascertain whether physical activity barriers have a direct impact on volleyball players' ability to work together as a team. Based on related literature on how it affects physical activity barriers, an online Cross-Sectional, Descriptive-Survey research was conducted on the volleyball players around Angeles City. Respondents were chosen based on specific qualities and criteria and provided unbiased selection. In analyzing the data, the pandemic practices and communication are the areas that impact the volleyball players in the middle of the pandemic. The findings showed that physical activity barriers have no association with the team cohesiveness of the volleyball player. It is suggested to the trainers, coaches, school administrators, and players that they can apply the findings of this study to their training amidst this pandemic. For further validation, the same research is needed to identify the other areas or factors that affect physical activity barriers to team cohesiveness.

Determining the indicators of the external body structure, which are inherent in highly qualified athletes of a particular sport during the annual training macrocycle, can be reliable markers in sports selection. The aim of the work is to determine the differences of anthropometric dimensions in qualified young women volleyball players at the beginning of the preparatory period and at the end of the competitive period of the annual training cycle. We examined 36 young women volleyball players of the section of sports improvement of National Pirogov Memorial Medical University, Vinnytsya and the women’s volleyball team of the Super League of Ukraine “Bilozgar – Medical University”. All volleyball players belonged to a juvenile age (from 16 to 20 years) and had a high level of sportsmanship. We conducted two surveys of volleyball players during the 2018-2019 study year: the first – in September 2018, which corresponded to the beginning of the preparatory period of the annual training cycle; the second – in May 2019, which was at the end of the competitive period of the annual training cycle. Anthropometric measurement was performed by the method of V.V. Bunak (1941). The analysis of the obtained results was performed in the license package “Statistica 5.5” using non-parametric methods of evaluation of indicators. At the end of the competition period, compared to the preparatory training period, volleyball players of high level of sportsmanship in adolescence showed a statistically significant decrease in body weight with a significant increase in shoulder width, chest circumference on inspiration, thighs and crus in the upper third, and a tendency to larger values of the height of the suprasternal and shoulder points, torso length and transverse mid-chest diameter. Certain somatometric features of volleyball players can be considered from two aspects: first, as a consequence of qualified prognostic sports selection, and secondly, as a result of training and competitive sports activities. Analysis of external body parameters in volleyball players during the annual macrocycle can be used as criteria for ascertaining sports selection, because when selecting at the stages of advanced specialization it is necessary to identify athletes capable of achieving high sports results, effective sports improvement in subsequent stages of training.

This research is conducted to determine the physical profiles of sitting volleyball players of the Turkish National Team. 12 male players from Turkish Sitting Volleyball National Team volunteered to participate in the study. The anthropometric measurements were taken over dominant extremity. In order to determine the physical features of the participants tests and measurements were made regarding stature, bodyweight, BMI, upper body length, upper extremity length, arm length, forearm length, hand length, arm circumference, forearm circumference, upper body length, modified sit-ups, modified abdominal endurance, modified push-ups, hand grasping power, plate tapping, and shoulder flexibility. SPSS 21.0 program was used in the analysis of the data, and minimum, maximum, arithmetic mean, and standard deviation values were determined. As a conclusion, it can be mentioned that the anthropometric measurements of the players and modified bio-motor test results of the disabled individuals will inspire the sports scientists/trainers and this data are vital with regards to selection of the players.

During qualified sport selection special attention should be paid to those features and abilities that have a great influence on the effectiveness, and those, that are mainly under the influence of genetic factor. Such morphogenetic markers of sports selection include, firstly, the constitutional features of athletes, in particular the shape of the chest. The purpose of work is to determine the differences between the anthropometric dimensions of the chest between female volleyball players of high level of athletic skill and non-sportsmen, who belonged to different constitutional types. On the base of the Scientific-Research Center of the Vinnytsya National Pirogov Memorial Medical University an anthropo-somatotypological investigation of 113 female volleyball players of high level athletic skill (from 16 to 20 years old) was done. The control group included 204 practically healthy young women, who were not engaged in sports of the corresponding age. Anthropometric research was performed according to the V. V. Bunak (1941) method, somatotypological study was based on the estimated modification of the Heath-Carter method (1990). In young women, who were not engaged in sports, more than in half of the cases were indicated constitutional types, which were characterized by good development of fatty body composition. Between female volleyball players were dominated individuals with mesomorphic somatotype (26.66%), ectomorphic somatotype (23.01%), ecto-mesomorphic somatotype (23.89%), and representatives of the intermediate somatotype (23.01%) were almost uniformly represented in the sample. The analysis of the results was carried out in the licensing program "Statistica 5.5" using nonparametric methods of estimating the parameters. We have found that the female volleyball players of the ectomorphic somatotype have the smallest anthropometric dimensions of the chest, as compared with athletes of other constitutional groups. In the mesomorphs female volleyball players all transverse and the most of overall sizes of the chest were the largest. Parameters of the athletes with the ecto-mesomorphic somatotype were slightly small to the size of the somatometric parameters of the mesomorphs, but they had the highest values of the anterior-posterior size of the chest. Female volleyball players with intermediate somatotype had larger values of the chest size than volleyball players with ectomorphic somatotype, although no significant difference was found when comparing them. It was found, that the most of the overall, transverse, and anterior-posterior dimensions of the chest in female volleyball players are statistically significantly higher than that of girls, who were not engaged in sports, and belonged to the same constitutional type as athletes. We have made a conclusion that belonging to one of the constitutional type does not provide similarity of morphometric parameters of the chest in persons with different levels of physical activity.

The purpose of this study was to form a profile of men's volleyball players which includes anthropometric characteristics, and Physical Fitness. This research method is descriptive quantitative. The subjects of this study we tested one hundred and twenty-seven men's volleyball players, who are members of the volleyball team as far as UNY, Indonesia. Men's volleyball athletes (11 to 16 years old) undergo body composition evaluation, flexibility test, vertical jump height test, speed test, arm power test, agility test, and endurance test. Average result of height 163.8 ± 11.8 cm, weight 55.6 ± 14.3 kg, sitting height 83.9 ± 6.4 cm, arm span 167.5 ± 13.5 cm, flexibility 35.5 ± 6.2 cm, limb power 51.1 ± 11.2 cm, speed 6.6 ± 0.8 sec, agility 20.9 ± 1.95 sec, arm power 6.2 ± 1.6 m, endurance 30.7 ± 6.4. The conclusion of the study may represent a step in shaping the profile of a 11-16 year old men's volleyball player in terms of anthropometric characteristics, body composition and physical performance parameters. Anthropometric measurements and biomotor test results of volleyball athletes aged 11-16 years are very important because they provide data that can be used in the selection of players for sports, Scientists, and coaches.

This study examined whether anthropometric and fitness tests might successfully predict selection of young female volleyball players for a junior national team. Sixty four female players (age: 14.4 ± 0.5 y, body height: 1.76 ± 0.05 m, body mass: 63.9 ± 6.4 kg) underwent a selection procedure for the junior national team. Anthropometric data and speed and power test results were obtained and players were graded for their performance in a volleyball tournament. Selected players differed from the non-qualified in body height (3.4%; p = 0.001), standing reach height (2.6%; p = 0.001), the sum of skinfolds (15.4%; p = 0.035), body mass index (BMI; 7.1%; p = 0.005) and spike jump and reach (SJR) (2.5%; p = 0.001). Selected players were classified in the 99.2 ± 1.6 percentile in body height and in the 51.4 ± 20.6 percentile in the BMI, which were significantly different from those of the non-qualified players (95.4 ± 7.0 and 66.7 ± 18.6, p = 0.02 and p = 0.004, respectively). Stepwise discriminant analysis yielded a discriminant function (p < 0.001, η2 = 0.78) that was highly loaded by height, SJR and the BMI (r = 0.79, r = 0.74 and r = -0.53, respectively). Cross validation results showed that selection was correctly predicted in 15 out of the 20 selected players (predictive accuracy: 75.0%) and in 35 out of the 44 non-qualified players (predictive accuracy: 79.5%). In conclusion, body height, the BMI and SJR height successfully discriminated between selected and non-qualified elite young female junior national team volleyball players. The equal vertical jump, sprint and agility of selected and non-qualified players, highlight the importance of body height and the BMI for selection of elite junior female volleyball players.

This study aimed to identify the necessary controls to activate the role of sports academies in the selection of players of team sports (volleyball, basketball, handball, and football) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The researchers used the descriptive approach in the style of survey studies, which was suitable to achieve the goal of the study; this approach describes an object, analyzes it, and extracts relevant facts. The study community comprises faculty members in the field of sports management and the training of team sports, coaches, and employees of the Saudi volleyball federations, basketball and handball, employees of private sports academies, and employees of the General Authority for Sports. The study sample was selected by the random class method and included (145) individuals. The primary tool for data collection was the analysis of documents, records, and questionnaires. One of the study's most important results was to identify the necessary controls to activate the role of sports academies in the selection of team sports players, including administrative controls, technical controls, legal and legislative controls, health and environmental controls, and other controls.

Tsoukos, A, Drikos, S, Brown, LE, Sotiropoulos, K, Veligekas, P, and Bogdanis, GC. Upper and lower body power are strong predictors for selection of male junior National volleyball team players. J Strength Cond Res 33(10): 2760-2767, 2019-The purpose of this study was to determine whether a battery of anthropometric and lower and upper body strength and speed and power tests predicted selection of young volleyball players for a Junior National Team by expert coaches. Fifty-two male junior volleyball players (14.8 ± 0.5 years, height: 1.84 ± 0.05 m, body mass: 72.5 ± 7.1 kg) took part in a training camp and underwent a selection procedure by expert coaches' of the junior national team. Anthropometric data and fitness tests results were obtained and players were graded on a scale from 0 to 100 on the basis of their performance in a volleyball tournament. Selected players were superior in the majority of measured variables (p ≤ 0.017) and had higher grading scores compared with nonselected players (85.3 ± 4.1 vs. 70.5 ± 5.6, respectively, p < 0.01). The combination of spike jump and reach (SJR) test and 3-kg medicine ball throw (MB3) velocity explained 63.5% of the variance in expert coaches' grading (p < 0.001). A multivariate discriminant analysis yielded a significant discriminant function (Wilk's lambda = 0.55, χ = 29.324, p < 0.001, η = 0.82). Spike jump and reach and MB3 were the only variables that contributed to the discriminant function (standardized function coefficients: SJR = 0.68, MB3 = 0.67). Cross-validation results showed that selection was correctly predicted in 14 of the 16 selected players (predictive accuracy: 87.5%) and in 32 of the 36 nonselected players (predictive accuracy: 88.9%). The SJR and MB3 fitness tests can predict a large portion of the variance of expert coaches' grading and successfully discriminate elite young male volleyball players for selection vs. nonselection for a junior national team. This result is very important as performance testing during a selection process may be reduced to only 2 measurements.