Principles of Test Selection

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Principles of Test Selection AdministrationCh.
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Reasons for Testing

• Testing helps athletes coaches to assess
  athletic talent identify physical abilities
  areas in need of improvement
• Test scores can be used in goal setting
• Baseline measurements can be used for setting
  initial goals
• Retesting at regular intervals can track progress
  in reaching goals

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Assessment of athletic talent

• Important for coach to be able to determine if
  individual has physical potential to play at the
  competitive level of the team right away or with
  technique training practice
• Easy if individual has already excelled
  previously, but some may not have shown their
  competitive abilities or may lack experience
• Field tests serve as tool for such assessment

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Identification of physical abilities in need of
improvement

• Tests can be used to determine which deficits of
  the athletes can be improved upon by
  participation in prescribed group or individual
  exercise programs
• Flexibility, strength, speed, vertical jump
• Some physical abilities do not have the ability
  to change
• Height, body structure

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Setting realistic goals

• Setting goals, or program objectives, gives
  purpose direction to training program
  promotes athletes intrinsic motivation,
  self-confidence, sense of responsibility
• Test results provide baseline scores on various
  measures of athletic ability so that realistic
  goals can be set degree of improvement
  quantified

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Things that should be considered when
establishing goals

• Coach must be aware of physical abilities needed
  to perform at competitive level
• Coach must have knowledge of exercise science
  training program ideas to achieve improvements
• Goals should be realistic organized into
  short-range (1-2 months), midrange (current
  season), long-range (1-4 yrs.), career
• Coach should encourage athlete to internalize
  goals to promote physical, mental, emotional
  commitment. Able to visualize reaching the goals.

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• Athletes should keep a copy of their goals in
  easily seen places (bedroom wall, locker).
  Should regularly review update with help of
  coach.
• Athletes should make goals known to training
  partners so they can help motivate.
• At end of season, coach should assist athlete in
  establishing goals for off-season a program to
  achieve them.

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• Coach should keep folder on each athlete with
  complete record of results of tests
• Allows easy evaluation of athletes progress
• Might include girth measurements pictures of
  athlete before after each training year
• Helps identify staleness, burnout,
  overtraining, which call for immediate
  modification of training program

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Testing Terminology

• Test- procedure for assessing ability in
  particular endeavor
• Field test- test used to assess ability that is
  performed away from lab does not require
  extensive training or expensive equipment
• Measurement- process of collecting test data

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• Evaluation- process of analyzing test results for
  purpose of making decisions
• Pretest- test administered before training begins
  to determine athletes initial basic ability
  levels
• Midtest- test administered one or more times
  during training period to assess progress
  modify program as needed to maximize benefit

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• Formative evaluation- periodic reevaluation based
  on midtests administered during training, usually
  at regular intervals.
• Allows for modifications to be made in program to
  meet needs helps avoid physical mental
  staleness
• Posttest- test administered after training period
  to determine success of training program in
  achieving training objectives

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Evaluation of Test Quality

• Test results are useful only if test actually
  measures what it is supposed to measure
  (validity) if measurement is repeatable
  (reliability)
• These 2 characteristics are key factors in
  evaluating test quality must be present for
  test to be beneficial

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• Validity- degree to which a test or test item
  measures what it is supposed to measure
• Most important characteristic of testing
• Types of validity
• Construct
• Face
• Content
• Criterion-referenced

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• Construct validity- ability of a test to
  represent the underlying construct
• Overall validity, or extent to which test
  actually measures what it was designed to measure
• Face, content, criterion-referenced validity
  provide evidence for construct
• Given the choice between 2 valid tests,
  consideration should be given to simplicity
  economy of test

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• To be valid, physical performance tests should
• Measure abilities important in sport
• Produce repeatable results
• Measure performance of one athlete at a time
• Be interesting
• Appear meaningful
• Be of suitable difficulty
• Be able to differentiate between various levels
  of ability
• Permit accurate scoring
• Include sufficient of trials
• Stand the test of statistical evaluation

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• Face validity- appearance to athlete other
  casual observers that the test measures what it
  is supposed to measure
• If test has face validity, athlete is more likely
  to respond positively
• Content validity- assessment by experts that the
  testing covers all relevant subtopics or
  component abilities in appropriate proportions
• For athletic testing, include component abilities
  needed for sport (jumping, running, strength,
  etc.)

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• Criterion-referenced validity- extent to which
  test scores are associated with some other
  measure of the same ability
• 3 types concurrent, predictive, discriminant

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• Concurrent validity- extent to which test scores
  are associated with those of other accepted tests
  that measure the same ability
• Convergent validity- evidenced by high positive
  correlation between results of the test being
  assessed those of the recognized measure of
  construct (gold standard)
• Convergent validity is type of concurrent
  validity that field tests used by ST C pros
  should exhibit

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• Predictive validity- extent to which test score
  corresponds with future behavior or performance
• Can be measured by comparing test scores with
  some measure of success (stats)
• Dicriminant validity- ability of a test to
  distinguish between 2 different constructs is
  evidenced by low correlation between results of
  test those of tests of a different construct
• Good dicriminant validity of tests in a battery
  avoids unnecessary expenditures of time, energy,
  resources in administering tests that correlate
  very highly with each other

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• Reliability- measure of the degree of consistency
  or repeatability of a test
• A test must be reliable to be valid, highly
  variable results have little meaning
• Easiest way to measure reliability is to
  administer same test twice to same group of
  athletes scores should be equal, test-retest
  reliability

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• Any difference between 2 sets of scores
  represents measurement error, which can come
  from
• Intrasubject variability- lack of consistent
  performance by person tested
• Lack of interrater reliability or agreement-
  degree to which different raters agree
• Timing errors, preparing athletes, running the
  test

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• Intrarater variability- lack of consistent scores
  by a given tester
• Can result from inadequate training lack of
  concentration failure to follow proper
  procedures of preparation, scoring, test
  administration
• Failure of test itself to provide consistent
  results- tests requiring proper technique which
  athlete has not mastered yet

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• For a measure to be valid, it must be reliable,
  but a reliable test may not be valid because the
  test may not measure what it is supposed to
  measure
• 60 m dash is a run test, but not for CV fitness
  (1.5-mi)
• Possible for test to be highly reliable for one
  group (college tennis player) but only moderately
  reliable for another group (high school tennis
  player)

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Test Selection

• Metabolic specificity- valid test must emulate
  energy requirements of sport for which ability is
  being assessed
• Sport specificity- more similar test is to an
  important movement in the sport, the better
• Experience training status- is athlete well
  trained in specific technique if they have been
  doing leg press, dont test on squat

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• Age sex- 1.5 mi run for college, but not for
  preadolescents max of chin-ups for men, but
  maybe not women due to lack of sufficient
  upper-body strength
• Environmental factors- high temp. high humidity
  not ideal for aerobic endurance test
• Norms on aerobic endurance tests should be
  adjusted when testing at altitudes exceeding
  1900ft.

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Test Administration

• Health safety considerations-
• Be aware of signs symptoms of potential health
  problems especially before, during, after
  maximal exertions during training, testing,
  competition
• Environmental considerations (heat, cold,
  humidity, etc.)
• Medical referral warranted for an athlete who
  persistently has any of the following symptoms
• Chest pressure, pain, discomfort
  light-headedness dizziness confusion headache
  bone or jt. pain, blurred vision nausea
  shortness of breath
• Testing area should be large enough clutter free

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• Selection training of testers-
• Should be well trained have thorough
  understanding of all testing procedures
  protocols
• If one gives verbal encouragement, all should
• Consistency among testers
• Recording forms-
• Developed before testing session have space for
  all test results comments

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• Test format-
• Well-organized session tends to promote
  reliability of test measures
• Should be known who is testing what, when, by
  who
• Testers should only measure one test at a time

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• Testing batteries multiple testing trials-
• When time is limited there is large group of
  athletes, duplicate test setups may be employed
  to make efficient use of testing time
• When multiple trials of a test (1RM) or a battery
  of tests (more than one) is performed, proper
  rest should be allowed between tests (at least 5
  min.) to prevent fatigue

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• Sequence of tests-
• Knowledge of exercise science helps determine
  proper order of tests duration of rest periods
  to ensure reliability
• Tests requiring high-skill movements should be
  administered before tests that are likely to
  produce fatigue confound results of subsequent
  tests

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• Logical sequence to administer tests
• Nonfatiguing tests (ht., wt., flexibility,
  skinfold, vertical jump)
• Agility (T-test, Edgren Side Step test)
• Maximum power strength tests (3RM power clean,
  1RM bench press)
• Sprint tests ( 40 yd dash)
• Local muscular endurance tests (1 min sit-up
  test)
• Fatiguing anaerobic capacity tests (300 yd
  shuttle run)
• Aerobic capacity tests (1.5 mile run)

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• Preparing athletes for testing-
• Date, time, purpose of test battery should be
  announced in advance to allow athletes to prepare
  physically mentally
• Athletes should be familiar with test content
  procedures practice session with less than full
  intensity