Background & objective: Vault performance in women’s artistic gymnastics requires the coordinated organization of high-velocity movement across successive phases, from the approach run to the second flight. Previous biomechanical research has frequently examined individual variables in isolation, whereas phase-specific coordination across the complete vault sequence remains less explored using accessible video-based methods. This study aimed to explore phase-specific kinematic characteristics and inter-phase movement organization among selected female artistic gymnasts competing at Olympic/international and national levels. Materials & Methods: An exploratory multiple-case study design was employed using retrospective video-based biomechanical analysis. Five female gymnasts were analyzed, comprising three Olympic/international-level and two national-level athlete-performance cases. Publicly available competition footage was analyzed frame-by-frame using Kinovea motion-analysis software. Eleven kinematic variables were examined across the run-up, first-flight, repulsion, and second-flight phases, including run-up speed, hip and bilateral knee angles, hand-contact duration, bilateral elbow angles, second-flight elevation, flight duration, and bilateral knee angles. Descriptive statistics were calculated using means, standard deviations, minimums, maximums, and between-group mean differences. Intra-rater measurement reliability was assessed using ICC(2,1), 95% confidence intervals, SEM, MDC95, and Bland–Altman agreement analysis. Results: The national-level cases demonstrated higher mean run-up speed (7.95 ± 2.62 vs. 7.47 ± 2.23 m/s) and second-flight elevation (2.95 ± 0.03 vs. 2.57 ± 0.21 m). Olympic/international cases demonstrated greater first-flight knee extension, particularly in the right knee (175.17 ± 1.85 vs. 154.75 ± 1.20°), and slightly longer second-flight duration (0.89 ± 0.10 vs. 0.84 ± 0.09 s). All repeated kinematic measurements demonstrated excellent intra-rater reliability, with ICC values ranging from 0.997 to 1.000. Conclusions: The findings indicate that vault execution cannot be adequately characterized by a single kinematic variable. The international contribution of this study lies in proposing a phase-integrated video-analysis perspective in which approach velocity, body configuration, table interaction, and second-flight organization are interpreted as interconnected components of vault technique. The findings provide preliminary biomechanical evidence for future standardized and three-dimensional investigations of inter-phase movement coordination.
Background & objective: Character education in elementary schools requires learning environments in which disciplinary values can be practiced through authentic social and behavioural experiences. This study examined how disciplinary values were enacted, reinforced, and contextualized through the compulsory Pagar Nusa Pencak Silat extracurricular program at SD Khadijah Wonorejo, Surabaya, Indonesia. The study also explored additional character-related behaviours and contextual factors supporting the continuity of disciplinary practices. Materials & Methods: A descriptive qualitative design was employed involving 67 participants, comprising 62 elementary-school students, one school principal, two extracurricular teachers, and two Pagar Nusa coaches. Data were collected through participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and documentary evidence. Student records included descriptive ratings on a 1–5 scale covering three disciplinary dimensions and nine additional character-related indicators. Qualitative data were analyzed iteratively through data reduction, coding, categorization, cross-source comparison, and verification following the Miles and Huberman interactive model. Descriptive statistics were used only to summarize the student-level ratings using means, standard deviations, frequencies, and percentages. Results: Three interconnected dimensions of disciplinary practice emerged: time discipline, behavioural discipline, and training discipline. Behavioural discipline showed the highest descriptive rating (M = 4.08, SD = 0.68), followed by training discipline (M = 3.85, SD = 0.70) and time discipline (M = 3.76, SD = 0.67). Ratings of 4–5 were recorded for 80.6%, 67.7%, and 62.9% of students, respectively. Among additional character-related behaviours, tolerance (M = 4.42), social care (M = 4.34), and hard work (M = 4.19) received the highest descriptive ratings. Conclusions: The findings indicate that Pagar Nusa functioned as a culturally embedded pedagogical context in which disciplinary behaviours were practiced through routines, rule adherence, repeated training, social interaction, and structured responsibility. The study contributes an implementation-oriented perspective to international research by illustrating how martial arts-based extracurricular education can support the enactment and reinforcement of discipline through interconnected school, coaching, and family contexts. The findings do not establish causal effects or long-term character internalization.
Background & objective: Small-sided games (SSGs) are widely used in football because they manipulate player numbers, playing area, rules, while preserving key features of match play. However, evidence linking SSG implementation to ball progression during elite competition remains limited when SSGs are embedded in a real-world preparation programme rather than imposed experimentally. This study examined the correspondence between SSG implementation and ball progression performance in the East Java Provincial Football Team during the 2024 National Sports Week (PON XXI). Materials & Methods: A quantitative ex post facto performance-analysis design was used. Official training documentation, match recordings, match statistics, were reviewed. The performance dataset comprised three PON matches against Papua Pegunungan, West Java, and Aceh. SSG implementation was characterised by player-number modification, playing-area manipulation, game constraints, intensity, and training objectives. Ball progression was assessed using passing accuracy, attacking-third passes, successful progressive passes, through passes, and chances created. Descriptive statistics were used because the available dataset did not support a valid participant-level inferential model. STROBE was used as the reporting framework. Results: Across the three analysed matches, possession ranged from 31% to 47% and passing accuracy from 63.46% to 72.87%. Successful progressive passes ranged from 19 to 40, successful attacking-third passes from 80 to 115, and chances created from 2 to 7. Progressive passing and through passes were present in all three matches. Training documentation showed consistent alignment between SSG characteristics and observed attacking indicators; however, no causal or statistically significant contribution estimate could be established. Conclusions: In this elite provincial-team case, SSG implementation was consistently accompanied by progressive passing and attacking-third progression across different match contexts. The international contribution is applied and methodological: naturally implemented, representative game-based training can be examined alongside competitive performance while separating correspondence from causal effectiveness. Controlled longitudinal studies are needed to estimate effect magnitude and mechanisms.
Background & objective: Position-specific technical demands in elite volleyball require evaluation systems that accurately reflect the tactical responsibilities of each playing role. However, most existing performance assessments rely on generalized indicators that may underestimate positional specialization. This study aimed to develop and validate a multivariate framework for objectively evaluating technical performance across setters, outside hitters, middle blockers, opposites, and liberos. Materials and methods: This observational quantitative study employed a Research and Development (R&D) framework using official match data from the 2025 Indonesian Proliga Championship. The dataset included 300 elite volleyball players equally distributed across five playing positions. Technical performance was assessed using a validated position-specific observation instrument covering service, serve reception, setting, attack, blocking, and defense. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Shapiro–Wilk, Levene's, and Box's M tests, followed by Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA), one-way ANOVA, Tukey's Honestly Significant Difference (HSD) post hoc tests, and Estimated Marginal Means (EMMs). Results: All statistical assumptions were satisfied prior to inferential analysis. MANOVA revealed a significant multivariate effect of playing position on overall technical performance (Wilks' Λ = 0.214, p < .001, Partial η² = 0.46). Significant differences were identified across all technical domains (p < .001). Setters achieved the highest setting quality, opposites demonstrated superior attack effectiveness, middle blockers excelled in blocking, and liberos recorded the strongest serve reception and defensive performance. Position-specific performance profiles generated through EMMs further confirmed clear technical specialization. Conclusions: The proposed framework provides a valid, reliable, and standardized approach for objective position-specific performance evaluation. Its application can enhance evidence-based coaching, individualized athlete development, talent identification, and performance monitoring in elite volleyball.
The purpose of the study. Volleyball is a fast-paced game that demands speed, agility, explosive power, endurance, and coordination. Various training models have long been practiced to enhance these attributes. The present study was initiated to provide scientific validation by identifying muscular activation effectiveness and correlating physiological variables with data derived from different training methods. Materials and methods. A three-group true experimental research design involving 45 adolescent female volleyball players was employed. The interventional strategies compared were Fartlek and interval training over a 4-week duration. The study examined selected physiological variables, including VO_2 max, resting heart rate, and muscular endurance. Neuromuscular analysis of the Deltoid, Biceps Brachii, Triceps Brachii, Rectus abdominis, Quadriceps, and Gastrocnemius muscles was administered using cumulative average muscular activation data collected from sEMG signal amplitudes. Data were analyzed using ANCOVA to determine the effectiveness of the training methods. Results. The findings indicate that Fartlek training results in higher muscular activation, which impacts neuromuscular coordination and consequently influences the performance skills of the volleyball players. Furthermore, employing electromyographical analysis provided a foundation for adopting muscular activation analysis in future studies. Conclusions. Fartlek training stands ahead of interval training in terms of its impact on selected physiological variables. The study confirms that Fartlek training is more effective than interval training and clarifies the underlying reasons for this superiority.
