The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of 4-month basketball training on speed, agility and jump in youth male basketball players. A total of 14 male basketball players from the youth category participated in the study voluntarily. Before the research, parents' consent documents were obtained from the parents of the players. The study included players who continued basketball training for 4 months. Subjects performed basketball training 3 days a week (90 min every day). 20 m sprint, Illinois agility test, vertical and horizontal jump tests were applied in the research. Pre-, mid-, and post-test designs are used in measurements (First test, 2. month and 4. month), and they were carried out in three different test periods. One-way repeated measures analysis of variance was used to determine differences between measurements. The Holm-Sidak test was used to determine the differences between the groups (p < 0.05). There was a significant difference between the measurements in the body height, body weights and horizontal jump of the subjects. In addition, an improvement in vertical jump, 20 m speed and agility performances were observed at the end of the 4th month. It was found that 4-month basketball training caused a significant increase in physical and motoric features seen in youth male basketball players. It is thought that the significant increase in speed, agility and vertical jump performance will occur after longer training sessions. It should also be remembered that growing up can affect the positive increase in performance.

The aim of this study was to investigate the endurance performance in the male basketball players according to age categories. Totally 89 male healthy basketball players (age between 10-16 years) were voluntarily participated in this study. The age categories are determined as under 12 age (U12) novice, under 14 age (U14) little, under 16 age (U16) youth and under 18 age (U18) junior. 20 m shuttle-run test applied to determine the endurance performances of the subjects. VO2max, number of laps and total distance parameters are examined. It has been found that endurance performance increases with age. However, this increase was determined to be significantly different between the age categories (p<0.05). Although it was determined that endurance performance increased with age in male basketball athletes, there is no significant difference in endurance performance between U12 and U14. It is recommended to examine the lack of difference between novice and little teams in terms of adolescence and/or transition to adolescence.

The purpose of this research is: (a) to compare the dominant and non-dominant leg isokinetic strength and balance, (b) to compare the balance applied on the same side to different directions and isokinetic strength applied to the same side at different angular velocities and (c) to examine the relationship between the balance and isokinetic strength applied at different angular velocities in female volleyball players. Eleven senior female volleyball players voluntarily participated in the research. Isokinetic knee flexion and extension strength were separately obtained on concentric/concentric dominant and non-dominant leg as 5 repetitions at 60˚.s-1 angular velocity, 10 repetitions at 180˚.s-1 and 15 repetitions at 300˚.s-1. The balance test was performed for both sides in anterior (ANT), posterolateral (PL) and posteromedial (PM) directions. In female volleyball players, there is no significant difference between the dominant and non-dominant leg in terms of isokinetic strength and balance. A significant difference was detected between the balance applied in different directions on the same side and isokinetic force applied at different angular velocities. However, there is not any significant relationship between isokinetic strength and balance in female volleyball players. As a result, there is no isokinetic strength and balance asymmetry in volleyball and there is no relationship between them. This may be an indication of the need for both legs in volleyball.

Background: Recent research has focused on the effects of different types of strength training on the performance and body profile of adolescent athletes. However, the effects of short-term plyometric and jump rope training on body profile and athletic performance in adolescent basketball players are a matter of curiosity. Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of short-term plyometric and jump rope training on body profile and athletic performance in adolescent basketball players. Methods: Twenty-two basketball players aged 13 - 15 were randomly divided into two groups as plyometric (n = 11) and jump rope training group (n = 11). All participants regularly completed to plyometric or jump rope training as 10 units for 4-weeks in addition to basketball training. Somatotype, body composition, push-up & sit-up test, sprint, agility (Illinois & hexagon), jump (vertical, squat, horizontal, plyometric) tests were measured before and end of the study. Results: The push-up (P = 0.049 vs < 0.001), sit-up (P = 0.20 vs < 0.001), squat jump (P = 0.010 vs 0.003) and horizontal jump (P = 0.028 vs 0.014) of the players were significantly increased after 4-weeks plyometric and jump rope training. In addition, plyometric jump (P = 0.007) and hexagon performance (P = 0.001) were significantly increased in jump rope training group. At the end of 4-weeks, body mass, endomorphy and ectomorphy scores of the lower limb plyometric training group, and body mass index, endomorphy & mesomorphy scores and quadriceps circumference of the jump rope training group were significantly increased. Conclusions: Short-term plyometric and jump rope training affect the body profile and athletic performance of the adolescent basketball players, but jump rope training has a more significant effect on athletic performance than plyometric training. Therefore, jump rope training is recommended for coaches who want to gain more athletic performance in a short-term.

In order to improve the performance of children, their physical needs as well as their mental needs should be known. The aim of this study is to reveal the perceptions of basketball concepts of athletes attending basketball sports schools with the help of metaphors and drawings. A total of 57 athletes who trained in basketball sports schools in Ankara participated in this study. It was used qualitative research approach in this study. In obtaining the data, a personal information form was applied to each athlete and "basketball ...... it is like this; because …" and were asked to draw a picture reflecting their thoughts on the concept of basketball. All participants took part in the study on a voluntary basis. The data were analyzed by content analysis technique. As a result; it was seen athletes draw on the theme of basketball as “sports, being an element of gain and emotion.”