The Impact of Mini-Basketball Training Sessions on the 6-7-Year-Old Boys' Physical Fitness and Physical Development

Abstract

Abstract The aim of the research is to investigate the level of physical fitness and physical development of 6-7-year-old boys before and after the implementation of the authors’ program of mini-basketball training sessions at the stage of initial training. The research involved 32 6-7-year-old boys, who were divided into experimental (EG) and control (CG) groups of 16 each. Physical fitness of boys was assessed by the following tests: 3x10 m shuttle run with running around stuffed balls, 4x9 m shuttle run, running to numbered stuffed balls, assessment of the sense of time, standing long jump, standing high jump, 10 m run, angle body from a sitting position, Romberg test. Physical development of boys was assessed by indicators of height, body weight, wrist dynamometry, vital capacity of the lungs, heart rate and blood pressure. As a result, the Robinson, Rufier, Kettle, vital and strength indices were calculated. At the end of the experiment the EG boys revealed significantly better indicators of coordination skills, static balance, sense of time, speed and strength qualities in comparison with the CG boys. There was also a positive effect of the authors’ program on the physical development of boys: the Robinson and Rufier indices improved significantly in the EG. It was established that authors’ program of mini-basketball training sessions, which is built according to the age peculiarities of 6-7-year-old boys, creates the most favourable conditions for the development of physical qualities in boys, their harmonious physical development, improvement of body function and revealing cognitive abilities.