This study assessed differences in agility performance between athletes of team and individual sports by assessing change-of-direction speed (CODS) as pre-planned agility and reactive agility (RA) as non-planed in different spatial configurations. The study involved 36 individual (sprint, hurdles, jumping, tennis, and judo) and 34 team (soccer, basketball, and handball) athletes. CODS and RA were measured with a light-based reactive training system in a frontal (FR), universal (UN), semicircular (SC), and lateral (LA) design. Lower limb power and sprint performance were also measured in a 10 m single leg jump test and 15 m sprint. Individual athletes showed significantly better performance in three of the eight agility tests: LA-RA, UN-RA, and SC-CODS (p < 0.008, p < 0.036, and p < 0.027, respectively) and were found to present stronger correlations (p < 0.01) between jump test performance and the CODS condition. Team athletes showed stronger associations between sprint performance and the CODS condition. In the RA condition both jump and sprint performance showed stronger correlations in the group of individual athletes. Agility performance as measured by CODS and RA should improve with enhanced of motor proficiency. Finally, the tests applied in this experiment seem to be multidimensional, but require spatio-temporal adjustment for their implementation, so that they meet the requirements of the particular sport.

Purpose. the general goal of the study was to investigate the relationship between agility t-test (change of direction speed ability, cODS), 20-m sprint test (S20m) (linear speed ability), and countermovement jump (cMJ) test (lower limb explosive power ability). Methods. the sample involved 18 elite female football athletes (age: 18.56 ± 2.24 years, height: 169.47 ± 6.48 cm, weight: 63.52 ± 6.85 kg). Pearson correlation coefficients were applied. Multiple linear regression served to explain the relationship between the dependent variable (cODS) and 2 independent variables (S20m and cMJ). Results. Pearson correlation analysis indicated a moderate relationship between cMJ and cODS performance (r =-0.59, p = 0.01) and a very strong significant relationship between S20m and cODS performance (r = 0.80, p = 0.00). the results of multiple linear regression proved that both independent variables (S20m and cMJ) explained about 60.0% (adjusted R 2) of the total model variance in relation to the dependent variable (cODS), whereas only S20m significantly (p < 0.05) explained cODS ability. Conclusions. the study highlighted the impact of explosive power of lower limbs (cMJ) and linear speed capability (S20m) on agility performance (cODS) in our sample. It suggests that the results of agility, linear sprint, and jumping performance seem to have similar determining factors. It is worthwhile to consider these findings in the training process of female elite football players in order to focus on essential training elements of physical fitness.

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The aim of this study was to assess the effect of drop height and selected somatic parameters on the landing kinetics of rebound jumps in force and power production, performed by male and female student athletes. Twenty female and forty male students with a sports background participated in the experiment (mean and standard deviation (± SD): age 20.28 ± 1.31 years, height 166.78 ± 5.29 cm, mass 62.23 ± 7.21 kg and 21.18 ± 1.29, 182.18 ± 6.43, 78.65 ± 7.09). Each participant performed three maximal jumps on two independent and synchronized force platforms (Bilateral Tensiometric Platform S2P) at each of the two assigned drop-jump heights (20-, and 40-, cm for female and 30-, and 60-, cm for the male special platform). Significant between-sex differences were observed in all variables of selected somatics, with men outperforming women. Statistically significant differences were noted in four parameters, between men and women, in both DJs from 20/40 and 30/60 cm. The height of the jump was 6 cm and 4 cm higher for men. A slightly higher statistical significance (p = 0.011) was demonstrated by the relative strength (% BW) generated by the left limb in both men and women. Only women showed a significant relationship between body mass, body height, and five parameters, dropping off of a 20 cm box. In men, only the left leg—relative maximal F (p =−0.45)—showed a relationship with body mass. There were no relationships between the above-mentioned dependencies in both groups, in jumps from a higher height: 40 cm and 60 cm. From a practical application, the DJ with lower 20/30 cm or higher 40/60 cm (women/men) respectively emphasizes either the force or power output via an increase in the velocity component of the rebound action or increased height of the DJ jump.

The purpose of this study was to identify factors that constituted the cultural capital among soccer players. We assumed that in the increasingly globalized world of professional soccer, a player’s success would often depend on migrating and adjusting to life in other countries. Willingness to migrate and successful adjustment are tied to player’s previous attitudes and/or behaviours (habitus), significant support from others, including family members, and previous experiences and success in sports and education. Our hypothesised model of the cultural capital was based on the Pierre Bourdieu’s theoretical framework. It consisted of 26 variables related to three sets of factors: soccer experiences, a family context and support, and educational achievements of the players and their parents. The model was tested using a sample of 79 current soccer coaches who also had been players at the elite level. A factor analysis was used to empirically verify the content of the hypothetical model of the soccer players’ cultural capital. Nine latent factors were extracted and together, they accounted for 55.01% of the total model variance. Individual factors obtained showed a sufficient level of substantial connection. The Cronbach’s alpha value of 0.77 confirmed the internal consistency of the operationalised variables in the hypothetical model. In addition, the impact of these aforementioned life dimensions on the migration of soccer players was studied. The results of the binary logistic regression analysis showed that the first factor of the hypothetical model (F1) had 2.2 times and the second factor (F8) had 3.9 times higher odds for migration abroad. Sociocultural findings using this new assessment approach could help create better “success conditions” in the talent development of young players.