Vol. 10, No 2, 2012 pp. 99 - 106
UDC 796.342.1
Original empirical article
IS THERE ANY SCIENTIFIC BASIS FOR THE TENNIS CATEGORY 12 AND 14 YEARS OF AGE?
Dario Novak1, Goran Sporiš1, Zoran Milanović2
1University of Zagreb, Faculty of Kinesiology, Zagreb, Croatia
2University of Niš, Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, Niš, Serbia
E-mail: zoooro_85@yahoo.com
Abstract. The purpose of this study was to identify the differences in the sexual maturity level among tennis players on a sample of 95 players (53 boys and 42 girls) in the category between the ages of 12 and 14, in order to indicate the inadequacy of these competition categories. For the purpose of a self-evaluation of the sexual maturity level, a questionnaire was used, and basic morphological parameters were measured (height, weight, fat, BMI). A significant correlation between biological development and age (r=0.47-0,69), height (r=0.45-0.67), and weight (r=0.43-0.68), was determined. The variance analysis shows that the older group is at a higher level of biological development (p<0.05). The male subjects statistically differ in a significant way in terms of their biological development level (T1, p=0.00, T2, p=0.00) and the trend is followed by height (p=0.00) and weight (p=0.02). The female subjects statistically differ in a significant way in terms of their biological development level (T1, p=0.00, T2, p=0.01) as well as in all of the morphological parameters (height, p=0.00, weight, p=0.00, %FAT, p=0.01, BMI, p=0.04). Our findings indicate that it is necessary to change the official propositions of the competitions in this category because it could be expected that due to the reduced span of chronological age, fewer varieties are possible in the biological age of tennis players.
Key words:  biological age, child, exercise, motor activity, physical fitness, sport.
DA LI POSTOJANJE KATEGORIJE TENISERA STAROSTI IZMEDJU 12 I 14 GODINA IMA NAUČNU OSNOVU?
Cilj ove studije bio je da odredi polne razlike u stepenu biloške zrelosti kod mladih tenisera izmedju 12 i 14 godina starosti i da se ukaže na neadekvatnost ovih kategorija prilikom takmičenja. Devedeset i pet igrača (53 dečaka i 42 devojčice) starosne dobi od 12-14 godina učestvovali su u istraživanju. Za samoprocenu nivoa zrelosti koričćen je upitnik a za odredjivanje morfoloskog statusa izmereni su sledeći parametri: visina tela, težina tela, procenat masti i BMI. Utvrdjena je statistički značajna korelacija izmedju biološke zrelosti i godina starosti (r=0.47-0,69), visine (r=0.45-0.67) i težine tela (r=0.43-0.68). Analiza varijanse je pokazala da je starija grupa na višem stupnju biološke zrelosti (p<0.05). Dečaci se statistički značajno razlikuju u nivou biološke zrelosti (T1, p=0.00, T2, p=0.00) trend razvoja je praćen visinom (p=0.00) i težinom tela (p=0.02) dok kod devojčica ovaj trend prate i sve morfološke dimenzionalnosti tela (visina, p=0.00, težina, p=0.00, %FAT, p=0.01, BMI, p=0.04). Naše istraživanje pokazuje da je u ovoj kategoriji potrebno izmeniti oficijalne propozicije takmičenja jer hronološka starost samih takmičara se dosta ralikuje od njihove biološke starosti bez obzira na pol.
Ključne reči: biološka starost, deca, vežbanje, motorna aktivnost, fizički fitnes