Effect of goal setting on lay-up and dribbling during ten weeks basketball exercise

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of systematic goal setting on basketball-specific motor skills
development, specifically dribbling and lay-up performance, among youth athletes. Seventy male
students from regional sports schools were randomly assigned to either an experimental group
(N=35) that received goal-setting interventions concurrent with basketball training or a control group
(N=35) that received only basketball training. Both groups participated in a 10-week training
program. Performance was assessed using the validated Dribbling Assessment Form and Lay-up
Assessment Form (Çamur, 2001). Data normality was evaluated via Kolmogorov-Smirnov and
Shapiro-Wilk tests. Between-group differences were analyzed by the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test
with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. The experimental group demonstrated significant
improvements in lay-up performance compared to the control group (P < 0.05). While goal setting
alone showed the lowest significance magnitude among measured variables, the combined
intervention of goal setting and structured training yielded improvements in both lay-up and dribbling
skills over the 10-week period. In conclusion, incorporating structured goal-setting protocols into
youth basketball training programs may enhance skill acquisition, particularly for complex motor
tasks like lay-ups.