Zbigniew Kamys

Introduction: Motor skills are fundamental to athletic performance, particularly in sports like handball, where coordination, speed, and power are critical. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of an innovative coordination training program on the profile of motor skills of adolescent handball players compared to traditional training methods. Materials and Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 27 young handball players. Participants were divided into an experimental group (n = 15) receiving additional co-ordination training and a control group (n = 12) following standard training. The participants’ motor fitness was assessed using selected population tests from the EUROFIT Physical Fitness Test Battery and the International Committee for the Standardization of Physical Fitness Tests (ICSPFT). Statistical analysis included the Mann–Whitney U test for between-group differences and the Wilcoxon test for within-group comparisons, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: The experimental group demonstrated a significant improvement in the examined components of motor performance (p = 0.038 – 0.001), compared to the control group. This was particularly evident in terms of aerobic capacity, as diagnosed by the Beep Test, agility and running speed (shuttle run), anaerobic abilities (vertical jump, 10 m sprint, tapping, and medicine ball throw), and muscular endurance measured by sit-ups (p < 0.05). The participants in the experimental group were characterized by low within-group variability in the achieved results, which also showed increased homogeneity with each subsequent post-test measurement during the experimental intervention (mean test-index V%: pretest = 12.29; posttest 1 = 11.86; posttest 2 = 10.71). Conclusions: The 32-week experimental training program focused on coordination had a significant and comprehensive impact on the motor fitness profile of young handball players, suggesting that its inclusion in regular training sessions could optimize training and competition performance. Further research is needed to examine the long-term benefits and applicability of these methods in a broader population of athletes.

Background: Handball requires significant psychomotor skills, especially in young athletes, to enhance performance. Coordination training is crucial but under-researched in this context. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of an experimental coordination training program on the psychomotor abilities of young handball players. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 27 young handball players. Participants were divided into an experimental group (n = 15) receiving additional coordination training and a control group (n = 12) following standard training. Psychomotor skills were assessed before, during, and after the intervention by PNTR (Computer Tests of Coordination Abilities) tests. Statistical analysis included the Mann–Whitney U test for between-group differences and the Wilcoxon test for within-group comparisons, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: The experimental group showed significant improvements in psychomotor performance, including reaction time and visual–motor coordination, compared to the control group. Specifically, there were statistically significant improvements in simple reaction time, visual–motor coordination, spatial orientation, attention distribution, and perception orientation. Conclusions: Coordination training effectively enhances the psychomotor abilities of young handball players, suggesting that its integration into regular training sessions can optimize performance.