ABSTRACT
Basketball is becoming an increasingly fast and intense game. Due to increased demand for good physical condition, the latter is becoming a more and more important part of the training process. If a player is to be successful, his or her technical and tactical abilities should be accompanied by good motor and coordination skills. This is where sports diagnostics comes into play. By means of measurements and testing, it is possible to assess the athlete’s condition, and the results provide the basis for efficient planning of the training process. With few exceptions, good players are able to run fast, jump high, fight for space with their body, and capable of coordinate movement among the players of their own and the opposing teams. Together with the above abilities, a competitive advantage in a game often includes agility. Some experts refer to it as the key ability in team games. Agility is an ability of quick movement of the entire body, while at the same time changing the direction and rhythm of movement in space and time. Strength, speed, coordination and balance all have a positive effect on agility. When testing agility, a variety of devices can be used, affecting the accuracy of measurements. Programmed ability with planned movement can generally be measured. When measuring random agility, where the measured subject has no pre-defined course of movement, it is possible to apply technology that allows random stimuli to which the subjects need to properly react. Tests within a training process should be carried out during the course of a person’s development and regularly enough to be able to monitor his or her development and modify their training programme accordingly. Testing and developing agility requires high intensity, which makes it vital for the athlete to be fresh, to warm up well and to use proper sports equipment for safe exercising.
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