The relationships between physical performance variables and on-court skills in a group of wheelchair basketball players

Abstract

This study aims to find correlations between upper extremity muscular performance, speed, agility, and on-court skills in Wheelchair Basketball (WB) players. The participants are 19 Lebanese Wheelchair Basketball Players (WBPS) who participated in at least one official Lebanese championship during the last two years and were selected from three different teams. The tests and measurements performed are Handgrip, 1RM (One-Repetition Max) Bench press, Peak power in the bench press, Medicine ball throw, 5m and 20m sprint, T-Test, modified Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 1, 20m sprint with ball, 10 free-throws, Maximal pass, Pick-up ball, Sitting height (SITH1), Sitting height with the arms extended overhead (SITH2). The final results show a strong correlation between strength and maximal pass (rho=0.826; p<0.001), between power and the maximal pass (rho= 0.774; p<0.001), between strength and the free throw shooting (rho= 0.552; p=0.014) and between power and the free throw shooting (rho= 0.678; p=0.001). Peak power was negatively correlated with speed-related tests; between peak power and 20m sprint with ball (rho=-0.557; p=0.013), between the peak power and pick-up ball (rho=-0.605; p=0.007), and between the peak power and the T-test (rho=0.491; p=0.034). In conclusion, the current study shows significant correlations between strength, power, and speed with on-court WB game skills, making strength training critical to success in WB. More studies are needed in the future with a larger population to compare the effect of different strength training protocols on the players' performance, which can help wheelchair basketball coaches structure strength and conditioning training programs.