Researchers have often examined the relationship between physical capacities and change of direction (COD) performance within adult participants (3, 4, 9, 24, 28, 30, 31, 32). These studies have provided useful kinematic guidelines for COD training but have had mixed findings when relating strength measures with COD performance (8, 9, 12). Studies have reported weak but significant correlations (12, 21, 27) and others finding moderate to strong relationships (10, 29, 30). To date, there have been limited observations made in the application of strength to COD performance with youth performers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between lower body isometric squat strength and 180° COD performance within three youth groups. Elite junior (n=20) athletes were separated into pre, mid and post-adolescent groups and completed a maximal bilateral and unilateral isometric squat assessment and a 180° turn over a 4 m, 10m and 20 m course. Pearson product moment correlations and ANOVA with all variables was completed. Results show that bilateral isometric squat was predictive of COD performance (p = 0.026), except left leg on the 4 m COD task, and left and right leg unilateral isometric squat was predictive of the performance on the 20 m COD task (r = -0.47 and r = -0.56 respectively). Across groups, acute turn-around time (4mTAT), measured from 2 m away from point of turn, was shown to be related to overall turn performance for left and right legs in the 10 m and 20 m COD courses (r = 0.829 (L10), r = 0.572 (R10); r = 0.582 (L20), r = 0.661 (R20)). Increasing strength of correlations between COD and isometric strength were found as the maturation of the group increased and as the distance of the course increased. This finding reflects the increases in strength seen across the isometric squat assessment across the maturational groups and would suggest that the older
5 athletes had a better opportunity to express their strength performance over a longer course distance. These findings demonstrate that isometric strength has a role to play in COD performance with youth performers, more so as they reach post-adolescent status.
