The Effect Of Exercises Similar To Competitive Performance On The Skills Of Passing And Dribbling And Oxygen Saturation (Spo2) Among Junior Handball Players

Abstract

The novelty of the study is that it aims to determine the effect of task-oriented exercises that simulate competitive play on the passing/dribbling skill along with the arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) of junior handball players and it is hoped that it would provide insights on the integration training modules to meet both the technical and physiological requirements.The research problem can be briefly formulated as the lack of empirical data on the extent of the impact that competition-style exercises have on passing and dribbling, and also on SpO 2 in junior handball players; a gap in the knowledge is still not filled properly.The goals of the current study were (a) to develop competitive-type drills that are expected to improve passing, dribbling, and SpO 2 in junior handball players, and (b) to test the outcome of such drills on the above outcome variables.The experimental design was taken with the treatment (experimental) group and a comparison (control) group because this study methodology was considered suitable to answer the research problem.The group of the study involved the youth division of the Naft Maysan Club that included 16 athletes aged 16-17. A random sample population of 12 players was extracted out of this population and was further divided into experimental and control groups comprising of six each. Two subjects were not included in the primary project: one of them was conducted as preliminary pilot study, and the other one was excluded because of his position as a goalkeeper.Statistical tests were performed in SPSS 26 and the results obtained had a number of significant results. First among them was the fact that the competitive-style exercises dramatically improved passing skills as the accuracy and time spent to execute the pass were significantly higher than those of the control group. Likewise, the level of dribbling skills enhanced in the experimental group and was manifested by a significant reduction in the duration of dribbling, which shows a higher level of ball-handling and faster motor reactions during the defense and time-pressure-related situations.The researchers obtained a number of practical implications: (1) introduction of the drills of the competitive style in the program of youth handball training under the influence of realistic game situations to both enhance the development of technical competence and physiological conditioning; (2) use of progressive approach to intensity and duration within the weekly training blocks to ensure the proper balance of physical load and recovery; and (3) the priority of progressive adaptation to maximise skill acquisition and physiological benefits.