Author(s): Sharad Chaudhary

Abstract:
Talent identification in volleyball aims to detect athletes with higher potential using anthropometric, motor and skill measures. This cross-sectional study (illustrative) examined 120 youth volleyball players (age 13–16) to determine which variables best distinguish those identified as “talent” by expert coaches (n = 40) from non-identified players (n = 80). Measured variables included height (cm), standing reach (cm), vertical jump (cm), agility (s; lower is better), serve accuracy (%), and game-IQ (coach rating 1–10). Group comparisons (independent t-tests) revealed statistically significant differences in all variables (p < .001). A logistic regression indicated that game-IQ was a strong independent predictor of talent-status (OR ≈ 20.0, p = .032) after adjusting for other measures. Findings suggest that while physical and motor measures correlate with talent, cognitive/decision variables (game-IQ) may substantially improve selection accuracy. Practical implications and limitations are discussed.

Pages: 387-389  |  106 Views  65 Downloads

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