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. 2025 Jan 29;15(1):3722.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-87583-7.

Examining physical and technical performance among youth basketball national team development program players: a multidimensional approach

Kazimierz Mikołajec  1 , Jorge Arede  2   3   4 , Karol Gryko  5
Affiliations

Examining physical and technical performance among youth basketball national team development program players: a multidimensional approach

Kazimierz Mikołajec et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

This study aimed to examine and compare the anthropometric profiles, motor skills, game-related abilities, and functional capacities of under-15 (U-15) and under-16 (U-16) male basketball players, evaluate the impact of maturity offset, and predict performance across physical and sport-specific domains. A total of 234 athletes participated in a comprehensive test battery, assessing morphological (height, mass, standing reach), physical (sprinting, agility, jump height, endurance), technical (jump shot, free throws, dribbling), and functional movement screen variables. The U-16 group outperformed U-15 players in physical characteristics and jump height. Within the U-15 group, players with advanced maturity exhibited greater body mass, height, reach, and vertical jump performance. Maturity offset was a significant predictor of linear speed and standing jump, while factors like age, height, and functional abilities contributed to broader physical performance outcomes. Only height and FMS scores were associated with sport-specific skill levels. These findings highlight that a multidimensional approach-including maturity status, anthropometric data, physical and technical skills, and functional assessments-provides essential insights for supporting athletic development in young basketball players and can inform tailored training strategies to enhance both physical and technical performance.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Conflict of interest: The Authors declare that he has no conflict of interest. Ethics approval: The research was conducted in accordance with the approval from the local Ethics Committee for Scientific Research of University of Physical Education in Warsaw (SKE 01–28/2016), and the study was completed according to the rules and regulations of the Declaration of Helsinki. Consent to participate: Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. All of the participants were informed about the aims, benefits, and procedures of the research project, as well as the possibility to withdraw from the study at any moment without providing an explanation. The inclusion criterion was the written informed consent of each participant, and the exclusion criteria included contraindications for the basic anthropometric measurements. Any injury or trauma also caused exclusion from the study.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Dribbling test - Movement of the player with the ball. A – starting point; B,C, D,E, C,A – dribbling around points.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Jump shot efficiency test. A – starting point; 1–10 – jump shots spot.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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