Science Fair Projects on Volleyball or Track

When selecting a science fair project, it is always a good idea for students to select a topic that will be interesting and relevant to a broad spectrum of people. Sports are a good topic for a science fair project because many people enjoy and participate in sports, including volleyball and track. Guide your students through a science project -- and teach them how to pace themselves, not sprint.

  1. Communication Effectiveness in Volleyball

    • Any coach knows that communicating with a team is important in developing teamwork, but exactly how important is it? This is a question students can study for a volleyball science fair project. Tell students to get six of their friends together. Put them on teams of three and have them play volleyball. One team can communicate as much as they like and the other cannot speak. Have the teams play five short games and then have students record the results and present their findings. The team that was allowed to speak should be the hands-down winner, as volleyball is incumbent on frequent team interaction. But students' results may differ.

    Volleyball Team-Building

    • While some volleyball teams simply practice techniques and physical training, some teams incorporate team-building and trust exercises into their practice. Many people wonder how effective these methods are and if they can actually improve a team's ability to play. To test this, ask students to gather six of their closest friends for their project. One week, have them simply practice technique and then play another team of their friends or classmates. The next week, have them incorporate team-building exercises, such as trust falls, into their practice. Have them play the same team and then measure the two outcomes.

    Track Nutrition

    • An important part of track is giving your body the nutrients it needs to perform at its maximum capacity. However, is one food best? This is a question students can try to answer in a science project with three volunteers. One day, have them run two 100-meter sprints and measure their time. The next day, have them drink a glass of milk half an hour before and record their time. The next day, have them eat a serving of almonds and record their time. Students can test the research question with various protein-rich foods to see what food or drink, if any, yields the best result for all runners.

    Track's Tall and Short Runners

    • A question many people have asked is whether tall people can run faster than shorter people. To test this, divide students into a "short" group and a "tall" group. Have them run sprints, rest, and then do longer runs. Repeat the exercise at least five times for added validity. Have students measure their running times and see which group ran the better times overall.