ABSOLUTE AND RELATIVE RELIABILITY OF TESTS ASSESSING KINESTHETIC DIFFERENTIATION ABILITY IN YOUTH FEMALE VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS

The aim of this study was to determine absolute and relative reliability of tests for assessing kinesthetic-differentiation ability in youth Herzegovinian female volleyball players. The sample of 32 volleyball players were recruited from 3 volleyball clubs in Herzegovina. Participants were aged 11.23±0.67 years and had practiced volleyball between 6 to 48 months. For the evaluation of kinesthetic-differentiation ability of arms and legs, 2 tests were conducted (Šimonek, 2006): Target sitting throw test (TST) for assessment of kinestheticdifferentiation ability of arms and target standing broad jump (TSBJ) for assessment of kinestheticdifferentiation ability of legs. The reliability of these two tests between the first and the second measurement was assessed using a two-way mixed effects Alpha model of intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The standard error of measurement (SEM) was also calculated to give an indication of the precision of individual scores over repeated administrations (SEM = SD x √ 1 ‒ ICC), and the smallest detectable change (SDC) for the interpretation of change in scores which is outside an error and which is due to a real change in score and not due to the error in measurement. To test the absolute reliability of the TST and TSBJ tests, the agreement between repeated measurements (test-retest) was quantified using the 95% limit of agreement (LoA) method originally described by Bland and Altman (1986). Target sitting throw test for the assessment of kinesthetic-differentiation ability of arms and Target standing broad jump for the assessment of kinesthetic-differentiation ability of legs have a high (moderate, good) level of absolute and relative reliability. Thus, they can be recommended for testing the kinesthetic-differentiation ability of arms and legs in youth female volleyball players.