Functional Movements in Japanese Mini-Basketball Players

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Sports Medicine
• Movement Science
• Youth Athletics

Background:

• The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) is utilized for assessing injury risk and establishing normative data in adults and athletes.
• Limited data exists on FMS performance in elementary school-aged children, particularly within specific sports contexts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish fundamental Functional Movement Screen (FMS) values for elementary school-aged mini-basketball players.
• To investigate the associations between FMS performance and chronological age, peak height velocity (PHV), and body mass index (BMI).
• To compare FMS patterns between genders and between players with and without a history of injury.

Main Methods:

• The study involved elementary school-aged mini-basketball players.
• Functional Movement Screen (FMS) composite scores were analyzed.
• Statistical analyses examined correlations with age, PHV, and BMI, and compared scores between boys and girls and injury groups.

Main Results:

• The mean composite FMS score was 16.5 ± 2.2.
• FMS scores showed a positive correlation with age (r = .312) and a negative correlation with BMI (r = - .371).
• No significant differences in FMS scores were found between genders or between players with and without a history of injury, though boys outperformed girls in specific tests (trunk stability push-up, rotary stability).

Conclusions:

• Age and BMI are significant factors associated with functional movement in young basketball players.
• While overall FMS scores did not differ by gender, specific movement patterns varied, suggesting targeted interventions may be beneficial.
• Establishing normative FMS data for this population is crucial for understanding movement quality and potential injury risk in youth sports.