Table 2.
Results by age-group for skill component mastery (Australia, 2015).
| Object control skill | Subskill |
Total (n = 153) |
4–8 yrs (n = 108) |
9–12 yrs (n = 45) |
p-Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Description | n (%) mastered | n (%) mastered | n (%) mastered | ||
| Strike | 1 | Dominant hand grips bat above non-dominant hand | 32 (21) | 16 (15) | 16 (36) | <0.01 |
| 2 | Non-preferred side of body faces the imaginary tosser with feet parallel | 14 (9) | 7 (6) | 7 (16) | 0.08 | |
| 3 | Hip and shoulder rotation during swing | 7 (5) | 3 (3) | 4 (9) | 0.10 | |
| 4 | Transfers body weight to front foot | 22 (14) | 11 (10) | 11 (24) | 0.02 | |
| 5 | Bat contacts ball | 123 (80) | 85 (79) | 38 (84) | 0.42 | |
| Kick | 1 | Rapid continuous approach to the ball | 94 (61) | 62 (57) | 32 (71) | 0.11 |
| 2 | aAn elongated stride or leap immediately prior to the ball contact | 91 (59) | 52 (48) | 39 (87) | <0.001 | |
| 3 | Non-kicking foot placed even with or slightly to the back of the ball | 41 (27) | 23 (21) | 18 (40) | 0.02 | |
| 4 | Kicks ball with instep of preferred foot (shoelaces) not toe | 28 (18) | 24 (22) | 4 (9) | 0.05 | |
| Overhand throw | 1 | Windup is initiated with downward movement or hand/arm | 20 (13) | 9 (8) | 11 (25) | <0.01 |
| 2 | Rotates hips and shoulders to a point where the non-throwing side faces wall | 29 (19) | 15 (14) | 14 (32) | 0.01 | |
| 3 | Weight is transferred by stepping with the foot opposite the throwing hand | 40 (26) | 22 (21) | 18 (41) | 0.01 | |
| 4 | Follow-through beyond release diagonally across body toward non-preferred side | 17 (11) | 8 (7) | 9 (20) | 0.02 | |
| Stationary dribble | 1 | Contacts ball with one hand about belt level | 5 (3) | 4 (4) | 1 (2) | 0.65 |
| 2 | aPushes ball with fingertips | 57 (38) | 24 (22) | 33 (75) | <0.001 | |
| 3 | Ball contacts surface in front of or to the outside of foot on the preferred side | 28 (18) | 16 (15) | 12 (27) | 0.07 | |
| 4 | aMaintains ball control for four consecutive bounces without moving feet to retrieve | 58 (38) | 28 (26) | 30 (68) | <0.001 | |
| Underhand throw | 1 | aPreferred hand swings down and back, reaching behind the trunk | 84 (55) | 48 (44) | 36 (80) | <0.001 |
| 2 | Steps forward with the foot opposite the throwing hand | 30 (20) | 15 (14) | 15 (33) | <0.01 | |
| 3 | aBall is tossed forward hitting the wall without a bounce | 83 (54) | 43 (40) | 40 (89) | <0.001 | |
| 4 | Hand follows through after ball release to chest level | 43 (28) | 25 (23) | 18 (40) | 0.04 | |
| Catch | 1 | Preparation phase where hands are in front of the body and elbows are flexed | 50 (34) | 38 (37) | 12 (27) | 0.24 |
| 2 | Arms extend while reaching for the ball as it arrives | 125 (86) | 87 (85) | 38 (86) | 0.87 | |
| 3 | aBall is caught by hands only | 99 (68) | 58 (57) | 41 (93) | <0.001 | |
a
Significant differences between age-groups accounting for bonferroni correction.