The effect of an educational program on developing certain physical abilities and lay-up shooting performance among wheelchair basketball players

Abstract

The research aimed to identify the effect of a proposed educational program on developing certain specific physical abilities and the performance of the lay-up shooting skill among wheelchair basketball players. The research problem arises from the noticeable deficiency in lay-up shooting accuracy due to the lack of a structured program that focuses on the relationship between developing specific physical abilities and the effectiveness of skill performance under the movement constraints imposed by the wheelchair. The researcher employed an experimental method using a two-group equivalent design (experimental and control) with pre- and post-tests. The research sample consisted of 20 players from the Specialized Center for People with Disabilities in Babylon and Karbala, with 10 players assigned to the experimental group (Babylon Specialized Center) and 10 players to the control group (Karbala Specialized Center). The proposed program was implemented over a period of 8 weeks, with three training units per week. The results showed a statistically significant superiority of the experimental group in the post-test compared with the control group in arm endurance strength, arm movement speed, and lay-up shooting accuracy. This superiority confirms that the proposed educational program was significantly more effective than the traditional program.