Examination of flexibility-balance-strength in girls aged 7-14 who play volleyball and do not play sports

The aim of this study is to examine the flexibility, balance and strength of physical fitness components in girls who play volleyball and do not play sports. In this study, 40 volunteer girls aged 7 to 14 years, including volleyball (20) and non-sports (20), participated. Flexibility of individuals was evaluated by the Sit and Reach Test, balance; Flamingo Balance Test and Star Excursion Balance Test, Strength; Hand Grip Strength, Standing Long Jump, Vertical Jumping and Overhead Medicine Ball Throwing tests. There is no significant difference between volleyball and non-sports group for flexibility (p˃0,05). There is no significant difference between the groups in terms of the results of the Flamingo Balance Test, which statically evaluates balance (p˃0,05). In the results of the Star Excursion Balance Test, which dynamically evaluate balance, for the right anterior, anteromedial, medial, posteromedial, posterior and anterolateral directions; for the left the group that plays volleyball in the anterior, anteromedial, medial, posteromedial, posterior and posterolateral directions is more successful (p<0,05). There was no significant difference between the groups for the posterolateral and lateral directions for the right, and the lateral and anterolateral directions for the left (p˃0,05). The group playing volleyball is more successful in the Hand Grip Strength (p <0,05), which evaluates strength from a static point of view and the Standing Long Jump (p˂0,05), Vertical Jump (p <0,001) and Overhead Medicine Ball Throwing (p˂0,05) tests, which evaluate explosive strength. It can be said that more active children who play volleyball generally have better physical fitness parameters than their peers who do not play sports. It is important in terms of gaining sports incentives and habits at an early age.