The effect of tennis training on attention development and self-perception in children aged 10-18 years

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of 10 weeks of tennis training on attention development and self-perception in individuals aged 10-18 years. Material and Methods: The study was conducted using a pre-test-post-test control group design from experimental research designs. The sample consisted of a training group of children who participated in tennis training and a control group who did not participate in any regular sports activity. The Stroop Test and the P300: Discrimination Potential Test were used to determine the attention levels of the participants, and The Children and Youth Self-Perception Profile (CY-PSPP) was used to evaluate their self-perception. The training group received a tennis training program for a specified duration and frequency (10 weeks/3 days a week/60 minutes), while the control group received no training. The obtained data were analyzed using SPSS 23 software. The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to determine whether the data were normally distributed. When comparing groups in terms of parameters showing normal distribution, the significance test of the difference between two means was used, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for variables that did not show normal distribution. Since the data did not show normal distribution in within-group evaluations, analyses were performed using the Wilcoxon test. The Chi-square test was used for categorical variables. Cases where the p-value was below 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Findings: The research revealed that children who participated in regular tennis training showed significant improvement in their attention performance and self-perception sub-dimensions. In particular, it was determined that the final test values of the experimental group were statistically significantly higher compared to the control group in measurements related to attention processes. Conclusion: It can be said that tennis training positively contributes to the cognitive and psychological development of children, supports attention development, and strengthens self-perception. In this regard, it is recommended to popularize structured sports activities such as tennis among children and adolescents. Keywords: Tennis, P300, Stroop test, Attention, Perception