Growth, functional capacities and motivation for achievement and competitiveness in youth basketball: an interdisciplinary approach

Abstract

The interaction of multiple influences on the path to sport success is not yet fully understood by sport scientists. In this study, we examined variation in body size, functional capacities and motivation for achievement, competitiveness and deliberate practice of youth basketball players associated with differences in biological maturity status, chronological age and years of training experience. Reflecting the importance of interactive effects, we examined the relationships between the psychological variables and functional capacities. Fifty-eight male basketball players aged 9.5 to 15.5 years were considered. Variables included chronological age, estimated age at peak height velocity, stature, body mass and sitting height by anthropometry; the Work and Family Orientation and Deliberate Practice Motivation Questionnaires were also used. Finally, the Line Drill test and Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery level 1 (Yo-Yo IR1) tests were used as functional capacities indicators for basketball. Variance components models derived from series of multilevel linear regression models revealed a substantial variation by maturity status for body size, functional capacities indicators, mastery and will to excel. The influence of estimated maturity status on mastery and will to excel was independent of age and years of experience. In contrast, no relationships were observed between psychological variables and functional capacities indicators. We conclude that growth-related changes are relevant to understanding players´ motivations for achievement, competitiveness and deliberate practice. This should be of interest to those involved in the selection and development of youth basketball players.

Variation in perceived collective efficacy among adolescent basketball players across 4-month competitive season.

“…These observations are consistent with available data with adult team sports Myers et al, 2004;Watson, Chemers, & Preiser, 2001). Despite substantial between individual maturity-associated variation in size and performance typical among adolescent basketball players (Carvalho, Goncalves, Collins, & Paes, 2018), which is reasonable to assume in the present sample, the results support collective efficacy as a shared belief that is mediated by team level influences including group size, past team performance, and confident leadership in the creation, maintenance, and enhancement of collective efficacy (Watson et al, 2001).…”

“…Growth-related changes happen through childhood and adolescence in physical and physiological dimensions (Carvalho et al, 2018 Gonçalves, 2018). To our best knowledge, this is the first report to examine changes in perceived collective efficacy in young athletes, particularly basketball players.…”

Sports potential modeling of young basketball players: a preliminary analysis

“…In this sense, the current understanding is that multidimensional and dynamic approach must be used to assess sports potential and select athletes 2,3,13 . For this, different multivariate statistical techniques such as discriminant analysis 13,14 , cluster analysis [15][16][17][18] , multiple linear regression 9,10 , multilevel regression models 12 and artificial neural networks 14 have been used for a better understanding of performance-relevant factors, classification of athletes and prediction of potential for certain modalities. Some authors have developed intelligent systems by means of statistical modeling in order to estimate the sports potential of young athletes 19 and even to guide players to game positions with greater probability of success 20 .…”

Changes in tactical performance and self-efficacy on young female basketball players

“…Interpreting performance and behaviour of young athletes is not straightforward. Within young athletes substantial age-associated, maturity-associated and sport-specific training experience-associated variation often exists between players 14 . Therefore, caution is warranted with the interpretation of young athletes´ performance and development, and appropriate alignment of chronological age, biological age and accumulated sport experience needs to be considered modelled.…”