Impact of Lower Body Muscle and Joint Flexibility on the Skating Speed of 12–13-Year-Old Junior Ice Hockey Players
Ovaska, Antti (2013)
Ovaska, Antti
Kajaanin ammattikorkeakoulu
2013
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2013120319676
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2013120319676
Tiivistelmä
This is an intervention study with 16 junior hockey players between ages 12–13. The purpose of this study was to investigate how training flexibility intensively for six weeks affected lower body flexibility and skating speed development.
The topic was introduced in cooperation with Kajaanin Junnu Hokki 68 ry because players’ skating and flexi-bility levels were considered problematic. This study should therefore have practical application possibilities in the field of youth coaching in order to develop the skating and flexibility levels of youth and junior hockey players.
A quantitative method was used in this research. The SPSS - program was used when the data and the results were interpreted. The focus was on a quantitative comparison of possible changes in flexibility levels and skat-ing speed that have occurred during the six-week intervention study.
The data regarding flexibility was collected through a set of flexibility tests. The players’ maximum skating speed was measured by a 30-meter skating test where the players performed an approximately a 10-meter initial acceleration before the first photoelectric sensor.
According to the results, the lower body flexibility levels have been increased significantly with the exception of thigh muscles. The maximal 30-meter skating speed did not increased significantly.
The most essential observation was that significant improvements in lower body flexibility levels, did not af-fect skating speed. It was an important discovery that the skating time had improved for ten players out of sixteen. However, the improvement was not significant enough to conclude that the skating speed would have been improved. The skating speed did not decreased during this intensive flexibility training period.
Despite the initial lack of certainty regarding the generalizability of the results, conducting flexibility training properly even during competitive season seems to be potentially useful and definitely worth further investiga-tion.
The topic was introduced in cooperation with Kajaanin Junnu Hokki 68 ry because players’ skating and flexi-bility levels were considered problematic. This study should therefore have practical application possibilities in the field of youth coaching in order to develop the skating and flexibility levels of youth and junior hockey players.
A quantitative method was used in this research. The SPSS - program was used when the data and the results were interpreted. The focus was on a quantitative comparison of possible changes in flexibility levels and skat-ing speed that have occurred during the six-week intervention study.
The data regarding flexibility was collected through a set of flexibility tests. The players’ maximum skating speed was measured by a 30-meter skating test where the players performed an approximately a 10-meter initial acceleration before the first photoelectric sensor.
According to the results, the lower body flexibility levels have been increased significantly with the exception of thigh muscles. The maximal 30-meter skating speed did not increased significantly.
The most essential observation was that significant improvements in lower body flexibility levels, did not af-fect skating speed. It was an important discovery that the skating time had improved for ten players out of sixteen. However, the improvement was not significant enough to conclude that the skating speed would have been improved. The skating speed did not decreased during this intensive flexibility training period.
Despite the initial lack of certainty regarding the generalizability of the results, conducting flexibility training properly even during competitive season seems to be potentially useful and definitely worth further investiga-tion.