“In my 30-year academic practice, this is the first time that FIBA has shared a research paper. It is the first time that they have shared a study not only by a student of a Lithuanian university, but also by a Lithuanian researcher in general. FIBA, I would say, is more of a practical platform for basketball development. But they have noticed and shared. This is a great appreciation and I am very happy about it”, says M. Balčiūnas.
In his bachelor thesis, Alper Can Konak compared the performance of the top players of FIBA teams at the Basketball World Cup 2023 and their performance playing with their own clubs. The performance statistics of the players of the selected teams were carefully analyzed in the thesis. The study revealed that the basketball players performed much better and made personal progress while representing the national team. M. Balčiūnas says that this study is of great significance and value.
“The findings of the study, which prove that playing in national teams leads to great progress, are primarily useful for basketball practitioners. This is a strong argument for basketball federations to communicate with players and set such example. Being part of a national team is not so much a financial gain as a moral commitment. We now have information supported by research that moral commitment helps a basketball player to perform better. It is very pleasing that we are pioneering in basketball research, which has also been noticed by the world’s leading basketball organization,” says M. Balčiūnas.
Asta Šarkauskienė, Head of the Department of Sport, Recreation and Tourism at the Faculty of Health Sciences of KU, is glad that the graduate’s work has not gone unnoticed.
“We are proud of this excellent, unique, and valuable study. Alper Can Konak is inquisitive, active, and eager to improve himself in the field of basketball. I am glad that the graduates of the Leisure Sports bachelor’s degree program are making the university famous all over the world”, says A. Šarkauskienė.
The Leisure Sports study program is the only bachelor’s degree program in Lithuania, where students graduate with a bachelor’s degree in sport and a professional qualification as a physical education (PE) teacher. Students can choose a specialization in basketball, football, or dancesport, which are developed and implemented with the help of Lithuanian and foreign social partners. Graduates can work as PE teachers or coaches, organize leisure time exercise activities for people of all ages, and create and develop children’s and adults’ sports and leisure businesses.
