Comparing the performance of squat jump and countermovement jump during development (11 to 16 years
old), younger children demonstrate more SSC gain than the older ones, when calculating the difference between
countermovement and squat jump height (Bobbert and Casius, 2005). This interesting finding gives evidence that
younger children are more able to benefit from the SSC. However, it is reasonable to argue that this increase in
SSC gain could be attributed to a much more reduced performance in squat jump of younger children. This is
also supported by the greater variability observed in children’s squat jump performance compared to adults [2].
Furthermore, the reduced performance in squat jump in children is supported by their decreased muscle length
and their reduced contraction velocity of their muscles (Bobbert and Casius, 2005).