NORMATIVE DATA DEVELOPMENT OF MUSCULAR POWER TESTS OF TALENTED YOUTH VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS

Abstract

Talented volleyball athletes typically exhibit outstanding physical attributes, particularly in muscular power. However, there remains a lack of research on normative criteria for muscular power among highly skilled high school volleyball players. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate and establish gender-specific normative data for muscular power tests among talented youth volleyball players. The participants included 64 talented youth volleyball athletes (aged 16–18 years), consisting of 32 males and 32 females. Simple random sampling was employed to select participants from four male and four female elite-level teams. Each team (n=8) comprised four hitters, two setters, and two liberos. All participants were evaluated using three muscular power assessments: the Vertical Jump test, the Standing Broad Jump test, and the Overhead Medicine Ball Throw test. The results showed that the mean vertical jump height for male athletes was 55.95 cm, while female athletes averaged 34.53 cm. The mean standing long jump distances were 225.63 cm for males and 172.84 cm for females. For the overhead medicine ball throw, the male athletes achieved a mean distance of 7.86 m, and female athletes averaged 5.84 m. From these data, three sets of normative criteria were established based on gender. The normative data derived from this study serve as a standardized benchmark for identifying and developing elite-potential youth volleyball players. These criteria provide essential indicators for sports scientists and coaches to monitor key physical attributes necessary for future success at the international level.