IS THERE A CORRELATION BETWEEN PRESEASON PHYSICAL TESTING AND HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL PLAYER ABILITY

Abstract

In the sport of softball, player ability is assumed to be in part attributed to speed, strength, and agility. As such, a preseason battery of physical performance tests may provide coaches information that may aid in the development of a softball player’s ability. However, information regarding the relationship between basic physical performance tests and player ability is limited. Purpose: To compare a preseason battery of performance tests (speed, strength, and agility) with in-season player performance outcomes to determine if a meaningful relationship existed. Methods: Fifteen varsity level high school female softball players (age: 16.1±1.4 yrs, height: 163.1±5.9 cms, mass: 64.8±8.6 kgs completed a preseason battery of performance tests 8-weeks prior to the season. Tests were performed across two sessions, separated by 48 hours to minimize the effects of fatigue. On day one, the athletes completed strength assessment consisting of the one-repetition maximum bench press (1RM BP) and the 1RM back squat (SQ). On day two, the athletes completed 3 trials of the agility (T-Test) and 3 trials of sprint speed (18.3m) assessments with the best score of the three trials used for analysis. Following the completion of the season, the head coach ranked the athletes on a 0-5 scale in batting average, fielding percentage, runs batted in (RBI), and on base percentage (OBP) accumulating a player ability score (PAS) between 0-20. Pearson correlation coefficients (r) were then calculated between the physical performance scores and the PASs. Results: The correlations were as follows: 1RM BP and PAS (r=0.23), 1RM SQ and PAS (r=0.26), T-Test and PAS (r=-0.41), & 18.3 meter sprint and PAS (r=-0.54). Conclusion: Within the parameters of this study, the relationship between preseason physical performance measures and player ability ranges from low to moderate. As such, coaches should prioritize sport specific skills activities followed by physical conditioning exercise in order to improve player ability in this population. Article visualizations: