TuJugling: Comparing Two Juggling Learning Methods in College Students
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age18+
SponsorUniversidad de Granada
About this trial
This study will compare two ways of learning juggling in university students during a regular practical course: (A) juggling based on throwing the balls in the air and (B) juggling based on bouncing the balls off the floor. The study will also examine whether the order in which students learn these methods (A then B vs. B then A) influences how their performance improves over time.
Students will follow two 4-week practice periods separated by a 1-week break, and juggling performance will be assessed at three time points (baseline, after period 1, and after period 2). Performance will be scored from video recordings using anonymized study identifiers. Questionnaires about mood and flow experience will be collected at each assessment, and handgrip strength and brief computerized cognitive tasks will be assessed at baseline and the final evaluation in an exploratory manner.
The main comparison of training methods will focus on results after the first period to reduce the influence of prior practice, while results after the second period will be used to describe learning trajectories, order effects, and transfer to different execution conditions.
Eligibility criteria
This trial accepts healthy volunteersQualifiers
Enrolled in the Motor Games course.
Aged ≥18 years and able to understand and provide informed consent.
Provide explicit agreement to participate in the study assessments.
Disqualifiers
Injury or medical condition that prevents safe participation in juggling, based on self-report prior to baseline assessment.
Uncorrected or insufficiently corrected visual impairment that prevents seeing and tracking the balls during practice and assessments.
Trial design
Design model
Crossover
Treatments tested in this trial
Intervention A Throwing-Based Juggling Training
Other interventionThe program comprises two 4-week intervention periods (period 1 and period 2) separated by a 1-week separation interval. Training will be primarily self-directed and supported by standardized official video tutorials that progress from lower to higher motor complexity in structured blocks, and by a per-session log. A session will be considered valid when the student practices juggling for 20 minutes. Three frontennis balls (standard course equipment) will be used. Training may be conducted wherever the student prefers (e.g., home or university facilities). Students will advance to the next pattern when they achieve 20 consecutive successful catches in the current pattern (applicable to one-hand and two-hand patterns). Intervention A consists of throwing-based juggling tasks performed according to the block-structured progression defined in the official course video tutorials
Intervention B Bouncing-Based Juggling Training
Other interventionThe program comprises two 4-week intervention periods (period 1 and period 2) separated by a 1-week separation interval. Training will be primarily self-directed and supported by standardized official video tutorials that progress from lower to higher motor complexity in structured blocks, and by a per-session log. A session will be considered valid when the student practices juggling for 20 minutes. Three frontennis balls (standard course equipment) will be used. Training may be conducted wherever the student prefers (e.g., home or university facilities). Students will advance to the next pattern when they achieve 20 consecutive successful catches in the current pattern (applicable to one-hand and two-hand patterns). Intervention B consists of bouncing-based juggling tasks (ball rebounding off the floor) performed according to the block-structured progression defined in the official course video tutorials.
Treatment groups
200 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groupsGroup A: Intervention A: Throwing-based jugglingExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group B: Intervention B consists of bouncing-based juggling tasks (ball rebounding off the floor)Experimental treatment 1 intervention
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Juggling Performance
Juggling performance will be assessed using a study-specific standardized battery of juggling tasks. The raw outcome is the number of successful catches in a single continuous attempt, two attempts per participant. Tasks have different raw caps depending on execution type (unimanual vs bimanual). Higher scores indicate better performance. Unimanual tasks: 0-30 catches. Bimanual tasks: 0-60 catches → normalized score = raw score ÷ 2 (0-30). \*Air-throw and Bounce tasks\* One ball, right \& left Two balls in simultaneous columns (one per hand) Two balls with alternating throws, switching hands Two-ball cycle, right \& left Three-ball task using both hands \*Training-specific progression patterns\* RA - Active Bounce RB - Passive Bounce RC - Imperative Bounce A - Standard Cascade C - Cascade with Cycle CH - Successive Columns
Time frame
Baseline and 4 weeks.Secondary outcomes
1
Juggling performance in different surface conditions
Juggling performance will be assessed using a study-specific standardized battery of juggling tasks. Support surface conditions: Floor (stable) and BOSU® balance trainer (unstable). The raw outcome is the number of successful catches in a single continuous attempt, two attempts per participant. Tasks have different raw caps depending on execution type (unimanual vs bimanual). Higher scores indicate better performance. Unimanual tasks: 0-30 catches. Bimanual tasks: 0-60 catches → normalized score = raw score ÷ 2 (0-30). Here the participant performs the same battery on stable and unstable condition \*Air-throw and Bounce tasks\* One ball, right \& left Two balls in simultaneous columns (one per hand) Two balls with alternating throws, switching hands Two-ball cycle, right \& left Three-ball task using both hands \*Training-specific progression patterns\* RA - Active Bounce RB - Passive Bounce RC - Imperative Bounce A - Standard Cascade C - Cascade with Cycle CH - Successive Columns
Time frame
Baseline and 8 weeks.2
Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) - Positive Affect Subscale.
Description: The Positive Affect subscale of the PANAS questionnaire measures the degree to which a person feels enthusiastic, active, and alert. It consists of 10 items, each rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = very slightly or not at all; 5 = extremely). Unit of Measure: units on a scale. Scale Information: Minimum Value: 10 Maximum Value: 50 Higher scores mean a better outcome
Time frame
Baseline and week 4 and week 8.3
Brief Inventory of Optimal Experiences (Flow)
Flow experience during the juggling activity will be assessed using the Brief Inventory of Optimal Experiences (Flow), a validated 9-item Spanish questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale (Strongly disagree to Strongly agree).
Time frame
Baseline and week 4 and week 8.4
Handgrip Strength Measured by Digital Dynamometer
Description: Handgrip strength will be assessed using a calibrated (Jamar) digital dynamometer. Participants will perform two maximum effort trials with each hand, with 60 seconds of rest between attempts. The maximum value recorded (the peak force) from the dominant hand will be used for analysis. Unit of Measure: Kilograms (kg) Scale Information: Higher scores mean a better outcome.
Time frame
Baseline and week 8Sponsors and contacts
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Source ClinicalTrials.gov