One-year Developmental Changes in Motor Coordination and Technical Preparation in 10–12-year-old Male and Female Tennis Players

Abstract

Abstract Background: To date, no longitudinal studies have been conducted on the differences in the development of motor coordination between boys and girls in relation to changes in their technical preparation level in tennis. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess the development of motor coordination of 10–12-year-old tennis players over the course of 1 year. Insight into the longitudinal changes of coordination abilities may be useful for trainers, instructors, and teachers of physical education training children, and could be used for talent spotting and improving training programs designed for adolescent tennis players. Methods:One-hundred eighty male and female tennis players aged 10, 11, or 12 years old participated in the study. Each age group comprised 30 boys and 30 girls. To investigate their motor coordination development, a battery of general tests and specific technical preparation tests were performed 4 times quarterly over 1 year. Differences between sexes and the time points were assessed. The rate of development was evaluated based on beta coefficient of linear regression. Results:Boys generally performed better in technical preparation tests than girls, as observed for one motor coordination test among 10-year-olds, three tests among 11-year-olds, and six tests among 12-year-olds. Jump rope test among 10-year-olds and hexagon jump test among 12-year-olds were the only tests where girls performed better than boys. On the other hand, girls showed higher rate of development in balance and complex reaction tests than boys. Conclusions: We conclude that motor coordination and technical preparation development over 1 year is age-, sex-, and task-dependent, with the 10–12-year-old male tennis players performing better in tennis technical preparation and overall motor coordination than females.