Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine differences between water polo athletes and non-athletes in a number of cognitive, perceptual and motor abilities. A group of elite athletes, members of the Greek national team in water-polo, was selected. A group of non-athlete, physical education student, served as a control group. A total of 11 abilities were selected as the most important for an elite athlete, by expert water polo coaches. Results showed that the water-polo players had significantly better scores than the control group in kinesthesis, decision making, visual reaction time, spatial orientation and grouping/organizing information. It seems that the nature of the sport strongly influences the way motor, perceptual and cognitive abilities differentiate elite water-polo athletes from non-athletes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 205-228 |
| Number of pages | 24 |
| Journal | Journal of Human Movement Studies |
| Volume | 33 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| Publication status | Published - 1997 |