Developmental patterns of athletic performance and physical fitness in youth baseball players: A longitudinal analysis

This study aimed to evaluate developmental patterns in athletic performance during youth and determine their association with changes in physical fitness. The testing included three athletic performance (i.e. ball speed in pitching, swing velocity in batting, 30-metre sprint time) and two physical fitness tests (i.e. medicine ball [MB] back throw and modified star excursion balance test [SEBT]). Data from 235 players (557 measurements) aged 6 to 14 were eligible for a longitudinal evaluation. The statistical analysis was based on the latent growth curve models of the athletic performance development process and the random-effect panel data multivariate regression analysis for ball speed, swing velocity, and 30-metre sprint time. The 30-metre sprint time showed a small curvature but an accelerated increase around 12‒13 years old. However, the ball speed, swing velocity, and modified SEBT demonstrated a slower or less accelerated change in the developmental pattern starting around 12‒13 years old. Multivariate longitudinal analysis revealed that developmental change in athletic performance was positively associated with age and MB back throw. Our findings highlight the developmental patterns of athletic performance associated with baseball exhibiting stagnation as well as acceleration, which may help develop effective age-appropriate strategies for improving performance in youth baseball players.