V2I8P31

Development of Fireman’s Carry Freestyle Wrestling Skill Test for Junior-Level Male Wrestlers

Dr. Suresh Kumar^1*, Ms. Navdeep Kaur²

Abstract

In the field of wrestling, there are limited skill tests available to evaluate the performance of wrestlers effectively. Therefore, the researcher undertook the study titled “Development of Fireman’s Carry Freestyle Wrestling Skill Test for Junior-Level Male Wrestlers.” The primary objective of this study was to develop a standardized freestyle wrestling skill test specifically designed for the selection, evaluation, and assessment of junior-level male wrestlers. This normative study was conducted under a descriptive research framework and focused on male wrestlers aged 18 to 19 from schools across Punjab. A purposive random sampling method was employed to select the participants. The research adhered to standard procedures and followed a stepwise approach for constructing the skill test, while also establishing standard norms. To ensure accuracy, the researcher collaborated with various wrestling experts to analyze the key skills commonly used by school-level wrestlers in the 18-19-year age group. The newly developed skill test was administered to male wrestlers from various schools, wrestling clubs, and training centers across Punjab. Based on the results, the test was revised and finalized after a pilot study. The validity, reliability, and objectivity of the test were established through standard protocols detailed in numerous reference books on testing, measurement, and evaluation. The data collected from administering the test were statistically processed to develop normative scales for test items. Two main scales were used to establish norms: the Percentile Scale and the 7 Sigma Scale. These scales were applied to both state and national-level male wrestlers. Scores were classified into five performance categories: Excellent, Good, Average, Fair, and Poor, following a normal distribution curve. The lowest scores of the t-scale, hull scale, and sigma scale for the Fireman’s carry skill were found to be 10.78, 11.76, and 12.08, respectively. Meanwhile, the highest scores recorded for these scales were 17.28, 16.30, and 15.98, respectively. Similarly, the lowest and highest standard scores for the Fireman’s carry skill were classified into poor and excellent categories based on the developed norms. The 5th and 95th percentile scores for all freestyle wrestling skills were determined to be 13.33 and 14.33, respectively. The results of the normative analysis show the following score ranges for wrestlers: Excellent (14.69-15.33), Very Good (14.03-14.68), Good (13.38-14.02), Fair (12.73-13.37), and Poor (4.00-12.72). Out of the total sample, 23 wrestlers (11.5%) fell within the Excellent category, 60 wrestlers (30%) were classified as Very Good, 64 wrestlers (32%) were in a good category, 38 wrestlers (19%) were categorized as Fair, and 7 wrestlers (3.5%) fell into the Poor category.

Keywords:

Wrestling, Skill Test, Standardization, Norms, Evaluation, Performance