Supervisors info:
Φωτεινή Βενετσάνου, Επίκουρος Καθηγητής, Τμήμα Επιστήμης Φυσικής Αγωγής και Αθλητισμού, Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών
Summary:
The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of a brief intervention program, with creative play as a key element, on the development of fundamental volleyball skills (finger pass and set) and levels of enjoyment experienced during training in developmental ages. Forty-four girls, aged 7-14, from two volleyball clubs in Attica participated in the research. One club constituted the experimental group (EG, n=24), which engaged in the creative play program for one month (12 training sessions), while the other served as the control group (CG, n=20), continuing with traditional training. Before and after the intervention, participants' training enjoyment was assessed using the Greek adaptation of the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory, and the execution of finger pass and set skills was evaluated based on specific criteria. Results from the covariance analyses (covariate: age) revealed a statistically significant interaction of the factors "measurement" and "group" in both enjoyment (F= 4.46, p= .42, η^2= .11) and the execution of volleyball skills (F= 5.51, p= .024, η^2= .12 for finger pass, and F= 11.70, p= .001, η^2= .23 for the set, respectively). The EG showed significant improvement in both enjoyment levels and technical skills after the intervention. In conclusion, a one-month intervention program based on creative play can positively impact enjoyment and the development of fundamental volleyball skills in developmental ages.
