Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to find out the effects of circuit training on selected physical fitness qualities and technical skills of youth volleyball players in Woreta, Ethiopia. This study employed a quantitative research approach and an experimental research design. All twenty-two male volleyball players, by using a comprehensive sampling technique, 15 years old, from the project were randomly assigned into an experimental group (n = 11) and a control group (n = 11). Circuit training was applied for eight weeks to the experimental group (EG), while the control group (CG) had no practice of circuit training. The training program included three sessions per week, each lasting 60 minutes. Muscular endurance (knee bent sit up test), muscular strength (1 minute push up test), speed (30 meter acceleration test), serve accuracy (AAHPER serve test), setting (Brady wall volley test), and passing accuracy (underarm passing test) were measured at the beginning (pretest) and at the end of the training program (posttest). The collected data was analyzed by using SPSS version 26 software by paired sample t-test and independent sample t-test of with a significance level of 0.05. The result indicated that after the circuit training program, all physical fitness qualities(muscular endurance, muscular strength, and speed) and technical skills (serving, setting, and passing) significantly improved in the experimental group (p<0.05), whereas the control group did not show significant improvement (p>0.05). In addition, as it was analyzed by the independent t-test, the posttest performance of selected physical fitness qualities and technical skills performance of EG significantly improved, compared to the posttest of CG. Based on this finding, it can be concluded that eight weeks of circuit training had a significant effect on the improvement of both physical fitness qualities and technical skills performance of youth volleyball players. This could help coaches to design circuit training programs that help volleyball players to develop both physical fitness and technical skills.