Sigrid Custers
Sigrid is a master’s student in Human Movement Sciences at Vrije University. As part of her master’s track in High Performance, she is conducting research on the reliabilty of the X-Skills tests and their relationship to the level of the hockey player. She also plays hockey in her free time.
Ruben Kemerink
Ruben is a masters’s student in Human Movement Sciences at Vrije University. As part of his masters’s track in High Performance Coaching, he is conducting research on predicting match performance based on the results of the X-Skills components. In addition to his studies, he is also active in the field of hockey as an assistant coach at HC Groningen D1.
Data alone is just raw information. To truly harness its value and meaning, scientific research is essential. By combining data and science, we can provide athletes with personalized feedback, tailored training programs and actionable insights. In collaboration with the KNHB, Sigrid and Ruben conducted a research project to validate and quanity hockey-specific skills.
In field hockey, there are already various physical, technical, and psychological tests, but comprehensive tests to measure hockey-specific skills are lacking. Existing tests are often confined to a laboratory or measure multiple skills simultaneously, making it difficult to identify specific areas for improvement. This research project focuses on quantifying and validating specific hockey skill tets so that they can ultimately be used for measurement, testing and training.
Within this research project, the focus is on three hockey-specific skills: speed of action, information processing, and scanning:
Speed of action: This test involves an exercise in which the player must receive and pass as quickly as possible in a situation that is already known in advance (closed skill).
Information processing: In this test, the situation is nog known in advance, but the player must adapt as quickly as possible to the changing environment by processing information (open skill).
Scanning: In this test, the player must adapt to the unpredictable environment through scanning skills (360-degree observations).
Hockey teams in the under 16-age category, both boys and girls, from different levels of play (recreational teams, selection teams, Dutch national youth teams, etc.) are compared with each other. All teams perform three tests to measure the aforementioned specific skills. This helps determine whether the X-Skills tests can effectively measure the level of a hockey player. For insights info the skill report, click here.
Most of the teams performed the tests twice in a row, and by comparing the results of the same tests, test-retest reliability can be determined.
The different hockey skill tests are also compared with match performance. Match performances are determined through a questionnaire filled out by the coaches. This assesses whether the coach’s evaluation alighns with the results of the hockey skill tests. Additionally, a player’s scanning behaviour is measured through video analysis. The number of times a player scans the environment through head movements before receiving the ball is compared with the hockey skill tests to identify any correlations. Previous research has shown that there is a relationship between the number of scans before receiving the ball and the speed and accuracy of passing.
Soon, we will share the results of our research in a factsheet, where we will delve deeper into the findings and insights. Keep following us for updates and stay informed about the latest developments in data-driven training at X-Skills.
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