The level of selected coordination abilities in badminton players at various ages and sport skill levels as compared to non-athletes

Background: The main aim of the study was to determine variation of some coordination motor abilities between badminton players at various ages and with various training experience and their level compared to non-athletes. Material/Methods: The results of the tests of coordination motor abilities were collected from 30 badminton players (younger cadets, cadets and juniors) and 54 peers who were non-athletes. Computer tests were used to evaluate selected coordination motor abilities using a touch screen laptop. Means between age groups of athletes were compared based on one-way analysis of variance or its non-parametric counterpart. The significance of differences between means of the two groups was evaluated using Student’s t-test for unrelated samples, the Cochran-Cox test and the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Comparison of the results of tests of coordination motor abilities between groups of athletes at various chronological ages revealed statistically significant differences in 11 cases. Furthermore, differences in the level of coordination motor abilities between badminton players and non-athlete peers were found at individual training stages (younger cadets, cadets, juniors). These regularities were especially noticeable for times of simple reaction to visual and auditory stimuli. Conclusions: Training experience has a significant effect on the level of the analysed coordination motor abilities of badminton players. This correlation concerns all the analysed coordination abilities. With regards to practical implications of the training process of young badminton players, one should emphasize the development of coordination motor abilities.