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The Effect of Different Types of Tennis Lessons on Executive Function in Junior Tennis Players: 2490 Board #237 May 29, 9

PURPOSE: The present study was aimed at evaluating the effect of two different types of tennis lessons, i.e. technique-based approach (TBA) and game-based approach (GBA) on executive functions among junior tennis players. METHODS: The total number of 82 junior tennis players (6-12 years, 37 boys and 45 girls) was studied. Prior to this study, 40 players participated regularly in TBA, while 42 players participated in GBA. The subjects completed an evaluation of executive functions (EF) including performance for inhibitory control (IC) evaluated by the Stroop Color-Word task, working memory (WM) by the n-back task, and cognitive flexibility (CF) by the Local-global task before (PRE) and following (POST) the 50min tennis lesson. Lesson contents and the time elapsed was recorded. The performance of EF tasks was analyzed by the means of the three-way analysis of variance; 2 (TBA versus GBA) ×2 [lower grades (1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades) versus higher grades (4th, 5th, 6th grades)] ×2 (pre versus post). An interrelationship was further evaluated by the Tukey post-hoc tests. The Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to evaluate intravariable relationships. A 5% level was chosen as significant. Values are expressed by means±SD in reaction time. RESULTS: The IC was enhanced by both TBA (PRE: 987±36ms, POST: 930±35ms) and GBA (PRE: 1009±32ms, POST: 874±29ms)(p<0.01), and the GBA showed significantly greater changes than TBA (p<0.01). In the higher grades, the WM was also facilitated by both TBA (PRE: 1089±44ms, POST: 952±40ms) and GBA (PRE: 1188±64ms, POST: 1059±61ms)(p<0.01). In the lower grades, the WM was facilitated by GBA only (PRE: 1404±92ms, POST: 1212±91ms)(p<0.01), but not by TBA (PRE: 1456±75ms, POST: 1477±102ms). The CF was enhanced by both TBA (PRE: 1024±32ms, POST: 861±25ms) and GBA (PRE: 966±30ms, POST: 803±20ms)(p<0.01). A positive correlation was found between the changes in reaction time of the WM and the game hours in the lower grades (r=-0.46, p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that both the technique-based and the game-based approach tennis lessons improve executive functions evaluated by three different criteria in junior tennis players, and the game-based approach lesson is more beneficially to the inhibitory control and the working memory among executive functions.