Shooting Diversity in Lithuanian Youth Female Basketball Players in Centre Position Depending on the Rank of Competition Level

Abstract

Research  background  and  hypothesis.  Higher  levels  of  competition  rank  have  significant  influence  on  the
structure and shooting performance in youth basketball.
The aim of the study was to investigate the interaction of shooting and match results of Lithuanian female youth
national team players dependent on the competition level.
Research methods. The basketball players (n = 7) of the Lithuanian Basketball Centre were investigated. The
performance indicators of those players were analyzed on the basis of the data collected during the Lithuanian
Women “A” league and European Basketball Championship of 2011. We analyzed the statistics of six selected key
indicators: 2- and 3- point field goal attempts, free-throws. The data were processed by SPSS 17.0 for Windows.
Person’s correlation coefficients were calculated to determine the relationships between the match results within all
shooting types and different players.
Research results. The top efficacy of shooting was found in Lithuanian Championship (LC), the lowest – in
European Championship (EC). The highest efficiency of free throws was found in the II nd  period (62.53%), two-
points (44.74%) and three-points  (19.45%) shooting efficacy in the I st  period  in LC. Seven players of LBC in
Lithuanian Championship earned the majority part of all points i. e. 74% in the I st  period and 75% in the II nd  period.
However, the contribution of 7 players of LBC in the  international competition level of EC was less, 59% of total
team points.  
Discussion and conclusions. Though the players performed successfully and efficiently in both stages of LC
and won all matches with a great difference in points, remarkable decrease in shooting efficacy and winning one
match only (out of 9) in EC might be considered as not adequate level of mastership in the opponents’ teams in LC
or not adequate individual level of sport performance. Lithuanian basketball federation should rethink the system
of targeted training of the Lithuanian youth team during the preparatory period in order to manage suitable local
competition level for better advance in the performance at the international level.

Keywords: sport performance, sport games, sport contest model, shooting efficacy in basketball.