Education of star excursion balance performance among young male athletes

Abstract

This study aimed to compare dynamic balance education among young athletes in different sports. So forty male volunteers in soccer (n = 11), handball (n = 6), sprinting (n = 10), and martial arts (n = 13) participated in the current study. The mean age, height, and weight of the participants were 15.7 ± 0.5 years, 175.3 ± 4.6 cm, and 63.0 ± 6.8 kg, respectively, for sprinters; 16.2 ± 0.7 years, 174.2 ± 4.3 cm, and 62.2 ± 5 kg, respectively, for martial arts athletes; 16.2 ± 0.8 years, 174.2 ± 6.1 cm, and 61.9 ± 6.0 kg, respectively, for soccer players, 16.3 ± 0.8 years, 180.8 ± 10.5 cm, and 70.7 ± 7.9 kg, respectively, for handball players. Star Excursion Balance was taught 12 sessions for all the participants three days of a week for 1 hour (Lephart et al., 1996). A per-test and post-test of dynamic balance values of both legs were assessed of all participants. and the best scores of each participant were recorded. Normalized leg reach distances (reach distance/leg length x 100 = percentage of leg length) were used as dynamic balance. The SPSS (version 25.0; SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL) was used to analyze the data. On the right leg, the soccer players’ reach distances were shorter than of the handball players and martial arts athletes in the MD and PM directions, than of the sprinters in the LAT direction. Similarly, on the left leg, the soccer players had shorter reach distances in the PM and LAT directions when compared with the martial arts athletes, and in the ANT direction when compared with the handball players (p < 0.05). It was reported in the current study that SEBT scores of the young soccer players were lower than other athletes. Balance is an important attribute for soccer, like other sports, however leg reach performance which is more related to flexibility may be not initial form for soccer players. Because the soccer-specific motion patterns demanding dynamic balance requirements can be easily performed without flexibility, therefore their postural control ability may be unimproved. On the other side, distinctive dynamic balance control skills of martial arts athletes may be stemmed from their kicking practices. So, it is recommended to teach and practice balance task in all training sessions of whole athletes.

Keywords: Education, postural control, reach distance, star excursion balance test.

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