| Summary: | ABSTRACT Introduction: Anthropometric and physical performance parameters that determine competitive levels in handball need to be carefully studied to identify which of them can bring the optimal contribution when the talents for this sport are selected. Objective: To identify which anthropometric and physical performance variables evaluated in the basic categories (infantile, under-15 and cadet, under-17) have the greatest influence on professional levels attained by male and female handball players throughout their sports careers. Method: A total of 145 handball players (75 males and 70 females) participated in the study. Participants were initially evaluated during the season 1998-99 and their performance levels were supervised until March 2013. The resulting data were classified according to the performance level (regional n = 109; national n = 36), gender, and category (infantile, cadet). Results: The MANCOVA analysis indicated that the player’s maturation stage is one of the main parameters to be accounted for when selecting the variables that should configure a talent detection model for handball, which is also conditioned by sex. Anthropometric variables are highly influential in the case of male players, while physical performance variables (squat jump, counter movement jump, counter movement jump with arm, 10x5m shuttle run, 20 m shuttle run, and VO2 max) have a similar effect in males and females. Conclusion: The study of changes occurring in anthropometric and physical performance variables may yield useful information to detect talents in handball, and maturation is a key factor to choose the most appropriate variables.
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