ORIGINAL PAPER
Role of physical and motor performance in predicting functional movement capacity in youth female volleyball players
1
Faculty of Sports Sciences, Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University, Tekirdağ, Turkey
2
Faculty of Sports Sciences, Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University, Balıkesir, Turkey
3
Faculty of Sports Sciences, Istanbul Aydın University, Istanbul, Turkey
4
Sport Sciences and Diagnostics Research Group, College of Humanities and Sciences, Prince Sultan University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Submission date: 2025-02-22
Acceptance date: 2026-01-14
Online publication date: 2026-03-16
Corresponding author
Pablo Prieto-González
Sport Sciences and Diagnostics Research Group, College of Humanities and Sciences, Prince Sultan University, Rafha Street, Salah Ad Din, P.O. Box 66833, Riyadh 11586, Saudi Arabia
Sport Sciences and Diagnostics Research Group, College of Humanities and Sciences, Prince Sultan University, Rafha Street, Salah Ad Din, P.O. Box 66833, Riyadh 11586, Saudi Arabia
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Purpose:
This study aims to determine the extent to which physical and motor performance can predict functional movement capacity, an important indicator of mobility and injury risk in young volleyball players.
Methods:
A total of 41 young female volleyball players (age = 12.90 ± 1.07; height = 157.00 ± 0.06 cm; body weight = 50.54 ± 14.06 kg) who regularly participated in volleyball training and competitions voluntarily took part in the study. Physical performance components were assessed using balance, agility, and vertical jump tests, while motor performance was evaluated through the Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder (KTK3+) motor competence test. A multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to determine the relationship between these variables and Functional Movement Screen (FMS) scores.
Results:
The analysis revealed that agility, countermovement jump (CMJ), and KTKMS were significant predictors of FMS (R = 0.780, p < 0.05), collectively explaining 60% of the variance in FMS. Specifically, agility (β = –0.369, p < 0.05), CMJ (β = 2.825, p < 0.05), and KTKMS (β = 2.242, p < 0.05) had significant and positive relationships with FMS. In contrast, static balance, dynamic balance, KTKBB, KTKJS, and KTKEHC were not significant predictors of FMS (p > 0.05).
Conclusions:
The combined effect of agility, vertical jump, and KTKMS movement patterns, which are closely related to volleyball-specific movements, plays a crucial role in predicting functional movement capacity and injury risk in young volleyball players. These findings are expected to contribute to the development of educational programs for athletic performance specialists and coaches.
This study aims to determine the extent to which physical and motor performance can predict functional movement capacity, an important indicator of mobility and injury risk in young volleyball players.
Methods:
A total of 41 young female volleyball players (age = 12.90 ± 1.07; height = 157.00 ± 0.06 cm; body weight = 50.54 ± 14.06 kg) who regularly participated in volleyball training and competitions voluntarily took part in the study. Physical performance components were assessed using balance, agility, and vertical jump tests, while motor performance was evaluated through the Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder (KTK3+) motor competence test. A multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to determine the relationship between these variables and Functional Movement Screen (FMS) scores.
Results:
The analysis revealed that agility, countermovement jump (CMJ), and KTKMS were significant predictors of FMS (R = 0.780, p < 0.05), collectively explaining 60% of the variance in FMS. Specifically, agility (β = –0.369, p < 0.05), CMJ (β = 2.825, p < 0.05), and KTKMS (β = 2.242, p < 0.05) had significant and positive relationships with FMS. In contrast, static balance, dynamic balance, KTKBB, KTKJS, and KTKEHC were not significant predictors of FMS (p > 0.05).
Conclusions:
The combined effect of agility, vertical jump, and KTKMS movement patterns, which are closely related to volleyball-specific movements, plays a crucial role in predicting functional movement capacity and injury risk in young volleyball players. These findings are expected to contribute to the development of educational programs for athletic performance specialists and coaches.
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