The importance of using circuit training in the development of speed endurance, agility and body control in male U17 handball players

Abstract. The growing importance of physical preparation in the training plans of handball coaches must be the basis for consolidation and improvement during the specific training of junior handball players. The higher the motor indicators, the higher the difference between the technical and tactical skills of junior handball players in terms of achieving maximum efficiency. The research took place over an eight-month period. The research participants were 32 U17 junior handball players aged 15 and 16 years. They were divided into two groups as follows: the experimental group, consisting of 15 handball players from the Bucharest Municipal Sports Club, and the control group, consisting of 17 handball players from the Bucharest School Sports Club No. 2. The methods used for the experimental group included set training circuits performed in the corresponding part of basic training. Each training circuit was introduced systematically and quantifiably for 15 minutes, three times a week on successive days and according to the training period covered by the U17 male handball team. The training of the control group was based on traditional methods provided in the annual training plan. Throughout this period, the specific physical training parameters of the experimental group were influenced by the chosen training methods: for speed endurance in different directions and at different angles with forward, backward and lateral movements; for the ability to rotate in different directions and at different angles with an emphasis on execution speed, acceleration speed, speed endurance, agility and body control.