Abstract des Autors

When played by youngsters, the volleyball game is often limited to a serve-receive activity that can hardly be considered as a good representation of what the game is meant to be. Mostly, the requirements of the games in which the kids have to compete exceed the perceptual and motor abilities of these young players. Therefore, the aim of this study was to get an idea about the performance level achieved by young volleyball players, and to find out if specific game modifications can enhance the quality of the game. Players of different age groups were videotaped while performing three game situations. The results revealed that the 9-10 year old players are unable to accomplish a 'three touch play', even when it is started under self-controlled conditions. Also the 11-12 year old group failed to perform well when the official rules were applied. These findings show that in order to efficiently teach volleyball, young players need to be confronted with specific age related games that take into consideration their perceptual and motor possibilities. Verf.-Referat