Abstract

The aim of the study is to determine the degree of performance- related physical coordination of elementary education children (male and female) that play tennis according to their age and gender and to investigate the relationship between their motor ability tests and performances. A total of 210 children tennis players (9 to 10 years; 105 males and 105 females) who have the Turkish Tennis Federation club licence and individual licence were included in the study. The height, body weight of the subjects were measured to determine their performance- related physical coordination. Tests of ball throwing, 10 m sprint, two-feet jumping, range, static balance and vertical jumping were performed. Pearson correlation test was used to determine the relationship between the motor tests used in detection of performance related physical coordination. According to statistical results, there was a significantly negative difference between the parameters of ball-throwing-10 m sprint and 10 m sprint-two feet jumping (p=0.001), a significantly negative difference between the parameters of 10 m sprint-vertical jumping, two feet jumping-static balance and range test-static balance (p=0.05), a significantly positive difference between the parameters of ball-throwing- two feet jumping and vertical jumping-static balance (p=0.001) and a significantly positive difference between the parameters of range test-vertical jumping (p=0,01), a significantly positive difference between the parameters of  ball throwing-vertical jumping, ball throwing-range test and 10 m sprint-range test (p=0,05). There was no significant difference between the parameters of ball throwing-static balance, 10 m sprint-static balance, two feet jumping-range test and two feet jumping-vertical jumping. As a result, the relationship of motor ability test parameters in female and male children tennis player in the age group of 9 to 10 was demonstrated. It can be suggested that the tennis performance of the children could be estimated in this age group by the significance of the relationship between their motor ability tests. 

Key words: Tennis, physical fitness, motor ability tests, Pearson Correlation, elementary age.