The Effect of a Training Program on Developing Selected Defensive Skills in Youth Badminton Players

Abstract

This study aimed to develop selected defensive skills among youth badminton players by identifying the most common defensive skills used by this age group, designing a training program to improve these skills, and evaluating the program’s effectiveness. The study sample consisted of 26 badminton players registered at a training center affiliated with the Iraqi Badminton Federation. A pilot sample of 10 players was selected to establish the scientific properties of the tests used in the study, while the main sample comprised the remaining 16 players. The main sample was divided into an experimental group of eight players, who undertook the proposed training program, and a control group of eight players. The principal findings indicated that the proposed training program improved performance across all physical fitness tests and defensive skill assessments administered to the experimental group. Furthermore, the experimental group demonstrated greater improvement than the control group in both physical fitness tests and the defensive skills examined. These findings support the effectiveness of the proposed training program in developing selected physical capacities and defensive skills among youth badminton players.