Agility is an important characteristic of motor development quality needed to maintain and control body position while changing direction [1Miller, et al. The effects of a 6-week plyometric training program on agility J Sports Sci Med 2006 ;  5 : 459-465

Cliquez ici pour aller à la section Références]. Agility refers to physical coordination, speed, and balance skills. This fundamental quality should be systematically developed in children, as the current increase in sedentary behaviors appears to be linked to a degradation of the level of such skills in youth in recent years [2Heyters, et al. Présentation de l’analyse du « Baromètre de la Condition physique » en 2004 Clés pour la forme 2004 ;  7 : 2-10

Cliquez ici pour aller à la section Références]. The aim of the present study was to improve agility in a group of children involved in volleyball activities.

The sample comprised 20 children (6–10 years old) and followed the activities proposed by one volleyball club. We used the Body Coordination Test for Children (KTK) composed of four tasks: catching balance (dynamic balance); moving across the floor in 20seconds by stepping from one plate to the next, transferring the first plate (strength of the lower limbs); lateral jumps (speed); transfer platforms (space–time structure and laterality). Over the course of six months, the children performed a battery of exercises that included the three agility components mentioned above. The children participated in three training sessions weekly lasting approximately 20minutes each. During these activities, two kinds of exercises were alternately performed. As a result, at the end of each month, training in the different agility components accounted for approximately 3 to 4.5hours. At the beginning, children performed the exercises without using a ball, but we progressively proposed more-complex drills and situations including balls. All exercises in the battery of tests for the KTK have been measured with pre- and post-tests.

The improvement of agility is very complex. It requires specific forms of activities adapted to the characteristics of each child. A regular progression of task complexity appears to represent an important factor for the achievement of coordination in children.

The present study led to a significant proposal considering the practical application of all exercises for use by physical educators and coaches.