The Selected Physical Fitness Field Tests for Youth Rugby Player: Validity and Reliability
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37134/jsspj.vol10.2.2.2021Keywords:
Reliability, validity, skill related physical fitness components, youth rugby playerAbstract
The purpose of the present study is to investigate the validity and reliability of the test instruments for selected physical fitness components (agility, power, and speed) among youth rugby players in Selangor, Malaysia. Even though previous researchers have conducted the validity and reliability for the fitness test, investigating the reliability and validity is ongoing and needs to be established according to specific populations to ensure valid, reliable interpretation or precise measurement. Sixty youth rugby players aged 13 and 14 years old underwent measurements of agility (4x10 meters run), power (standing long jump), speed (30 meters sprint test). In addition, two testers independently assessed all the tests towards subjects using standardized skill criteria. The descriptive statistics of the variables were; i) 4x10 meters test for elite players (M = 11.9, SD = .81) and non-elite players (M = 12.9, SD = .83), ii) 30 meters sprint test for elite players (M = 5.56, SD = .31) and non-elite players (M = 5.90, SD = .33), iii) standing long jump for elite players (M = 211.8, SD = 8.20) and non-elite players (M = 206.53, SD = 6.89). Significant (p < 0.05) differences were detected for all the 3 tests. The study found that the test-retest and Pearson correlation of reliability for the 3 test instruments were high (r = .80) for 4x10 meters test, 30 meters sprint test (r = .82), and standing long jump (r = .72). These findings suggested that all the 3 test instruments are reliable and valid for the studied population. This study will provide comprehensive evidence for all practitioners in terms of appropriate and quality measurement to ensure the training program and talent selection are meaningful. These findings also provide direction for future researchers to explore the different research methods, populations, and other fitness components.
Downloads
References
Agar-Newman, D. J., & Klimstra, M. D. (2015). Efficacy of horizontal jumping tasks as a method for talent identification of female rugby players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research,29(3), 737-743
Ahmad Hashim, (2015). Pengujian, Pengukuran dan Penilaian Pendidikan Jasmani. Bandar Baru Bangi: Dubook Press Sdn. Bhd.
Argus, C. K., Gill, N., Keogh, J., Hopkins, W. G., & Beaven, C. M. (2010). Effects of a short-term pre-season training programme on the body composition and anaerobic performance of professional rugby union players. Journal of Sports Sciences, 28(6), 679-686.
Baumgartner, T. A., Jackson, A. S., Mahar, M.T., Rowe, D.A. (2006). Measurement for Evaluation in Physical Education and Exercise Science (No. Ed.8).WCB/McGraw- Hill.
Baumgartner, T. A., Strong, C. H., & Hensley, L. D. (2005). Conducting and Reading Research in Health and Human Performance. McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages.
Bailey, R., Collins, D., Ford, P., MacNamara, A., Toms, M., & Pearce, G. (2010). Participant development in sport: An academic review. Sports Coach UK, 4, 1-134.
Brewer, J., & Davis, J. (1995). Applied physiology of rugby league. Sports Medicine, 20(3), 129-135.
Currell, K., & Jeukendrup, A. E. (2008). Validity, reliability and sensitivity of measures of sporting performance. Sports Medicine, 38(4), 297-316.
Davidson M. (2014) Known-Groups Validity. In: Michalos A.C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research. Springer, Dordrecht
Duthie, G. M., Pyne, D. B., Marsh, D. J., & Hooper, S. L. (2006). Sprint patterns in rugby union players during competition. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 20(1), 208.
Duthie, G., Pyne, D., & Hooper, S. (2003). Applied physiology and game analysis of rugby union. Sports Medicine, 33(13), 973-991.
Fokkema, T., Kooiman, T. J. M., Krijnen, W. P., Van der Schans, Cees P, & De Groot, M. (2017). Reliability and validity of ten consumer activity trackers depend on walking speed. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 49(4), 793-800.
Gabbett, T. J., Kelly, J. N., & Sheppard, J. M. (2008). Speed change of direction speed, and reactive agility of rugby league players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 22(1), 174-181.
Granados, C., Izquierdo, M., Ibanez, J., Ruesta, M., & Gorostiaga, E. M. (2008). Effects of an entire season on physical fitness in elite female handball players. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 40(2), 351-361.
Hachana, Y., Chaabene, H., Rajeb, G. B., Khlifa, R., Aouadi, R., Chamari, K., & Gabbett, T. J. (2014). Validity and reliability of new agility test among elite and subelite under 14-soccer players. PloS one, 9(4), e95773.
Hashim, A., Ariffin, A., Hashim, A. T., & Yusof, A. B. (2018). Reliability and Validity of the 90º Push-Ups Test Protocol. International Journal of Scientific Research and Management, 6(06).
Haycraft, J. A., Kovalchik, S., Pyne, D. B., & Robertson, S. (2017). Physical characteristics of players within the Australian Football League participation pathways: a systematic review. Sports Medicine-Open, 3(1), 1-16.
Henriques‐Neto, D., Minderico, C., Peralta, M., Marques, A., & Sardinha, L. B. (2020). Test–retest reliability of physical fitness tests among young athletes: The FITescola® battery. Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging, 40(3), 173-182.
Jarvis, S., Sullivan, L. O., Davies, B., Wiltshire, H., & Baker, J. S. (2009). Interrelationships between measured running intensities and agility performance in subelite rugby union players. Research in Sports Medicine, 17(4), 217-230.
Malina, R. M., Cumming, S. P., Kontos, A. P., Eisenmann, J. C., Ribeiro, B., & Aroso, J. (2005). Maturity-associated variation in sport-specific skills of youth soccer players aged 13–15 years. Journal of Sports Sciences, 23(5), 515-522.
Meir, R., Holding, R., & Hetherington, J. (2014). Impact of the Two-Handed Rugby Ball Carry on Change of Direction Speed and Reactive Agility: Implications for Sport Specific Testing. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 9(5), 1181–1190
Miller, D. (2013). Measurement by the physical educator why and how. McGraw-Hill Higher Education
O’Connor, D. (1996). Physiological characteristics of professional rugby league players. Strength and Conditioning Coach, 4(1), 21-26.
Odom, L. R., & Morrow, Jr, J. R. (2006). What's this R? A correlational approach to explaining validity, reliability and objectivity coefficients. Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science, 10(2), 137-145.
Oliver, J. L., & Lloyd, R. S. (2012). Long-term athlete development and trainability during childhood: A brief review. Prof Strength Cond J, 26, 19-24.
Quarrie, K. L., & Hopkins, W. G. (2008). Tackle injuries in professional rugby union. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 36(9), 1705-1716.
Smart, D., Hopkins, W. G., Quarrie, K. L., & Gill, N. (2014). The relationship between physical fitness and game behaviours in rugby union players. European Journal of Sport Science, 14(sup1), S8-S17.
Thomas, J. R., & Nelson, J. K. (2001). Research Methods in Physical Activity (4th ed.) Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
Till, K., Weakley, J., Read, D. B., Phibbs, P., Darrall-Jones, J., Roe, G., Chantler, S., Mellalieu, S., Hislop, M., Stokes, K., Rock, A., & Jones, B. (2020). Applied sport science for male age-grade rugby union in England. Sports Medicine-Open, 6(1), 1-20.
van de Water, T., Huijgen, B., Faber, I., & Elferink-Gemser, M. (2017). Assessing cognitive performance in badminton players: a reproducibility and validity study. Journal of Human Kinetics, 55, 149.
Wang, R., Hoffman, J. R., Tanigawa, S., Miramonti, A. A., La Monica, M. B., Beyer, K. S., Stout, J. R. (2016). Isometric mid-thigh pulls correlates with strength, sprint, and agility performance in collegiate rugby union players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 30(11), 3051-3056
Zumbo, B.D. (2007). Validity: Foundational issues and statistical methodology. In Handbook of Statistics: Psychometrics. Vol. 26. Edited by C.R. Rao and S. Sinharay. Elsevier, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Zumbo, B.D., & Rupp, A.A. (2004). Responsible Modelling of Measurement Data for Appropriate Inferences: Important Advances in Reliability and Validity Theory. In the SAGE Handbook of Quantitative Methodology for the Social Sciences. Edited by D. Kaplan. Sage Press, Thousand Oaks, Calif., USA.
