Bepaling van talentidentifiseringsdeterminante vir kruipslagswemprestasies by kinders : 'n kinantropometriese model

Abstract

Until recently the identification of talented swimmers has been based on natural selection methods and carried out by coaches using their intuition. These methods have limited value and are not in accordance with scientists' findings that talent identification should be carried out by scientific and norm-based selection methods. Research on this subject can enhance the prospect of young swimmers reaching their maximum potential and direct them into the event(s) for which they are physically and physiologically best suited. The first aim of this study was to determine which kinanthropometric variables, with consideration of the growth and genetic stability of these determinants, are indicated by literature as possible talent-identification determinants for 50 m and 100 m crawl-stroke swimming performance of 13-year-old girls and 14-year-old boys respectively. The second aim was to determine if gender differences would indicate different kinanthropometric determinants for the above-mentioned group. The kinanthropometric variables that underlie swimming success of young children were identified by examining available literature on the basis of a biomechanical analysis (task analysis) of the crawl stroke. After the literature research a kinanthropometric profile was compiled for each of the genders. The effect of growth and heredity on the kinanthropometric variables after the age 13 years (girls) and 14 years (boys) was also researched in the literature. Twenty-three kinanthropometric determinants were identified for 14-year-old boys, and 24 for 13-year-old girls. The following determinants were similar between these two groups: lower limb lengths, feet and thigh lengths, leg-length index, feet surface area, upper limb lengths, hand lengths, hand surface areas, the total arm length in relation to body stature, brachial index,

body stature, muscle mass percentage, lean body mass: body volume, wide shoulders in

relation to hips, transverse chest breadth, body mass, body - mass: stature index, as well as an ideal somatotype. Biceps and head circumferences and sitting height were the only kinanthropometric determinants that differed from those of the girls, whereas the neck and wrist circumference, wrist breadth and muscle: skeletal mass ratio were unique to the girl group. These results make it possible for coaches and sports scientists to identify the kinanthropometric determinants of short-distance crawl-stroke swimming performance in both genders and to categorise young swimmers into successful and less successful swimmers for the respective genders. However, more multifactorial studies need to be conducted to identify all relevant short distance crawl performance determinants.