Professional paper
THE INFLUENCE OF CONTROLED SPORTS ACTIVITIES IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN
Sergio de Privitellio
; Fitness centar Studio “S”, Croatia
Romana Caput-Jogunica
; Physical culture, School of agronomy, University of Zagreb, Croatia
Gordan Gulan
; Clinic of Orthopedics Lovran, School of medicine, University of Rijeka, Croatia
Vladimir Boschi
; Department of traumatology, Clinical hospital center Split, Croatia
Abstract
SUMMARY
Aim of investigation: Participating in sports activities has
been shown to have positive influence on both physical
and mental health, thus reducing the morbidity. Special
attention should be paid to acceptance of physical activity
habits in preschool period. In this study we evaluated
the influence of controled sport activity on motoric
capabilities in preschool children.
Subjects and Methods: The study included 136 preschool
children age range from 4 to 6 years (61 girls and
75 boys) from several kindergarden in which sport program
is performed. Motoric capabilities were tested at
the beginning and the end of sport program using a battery
of six tests evaluating explosive strenght or power,
dynamic strenght, flexibility, coordination, agility and
balance. We determined basic descriptive characteristics
of motoric test results, as well as global and partial differences
between initial and final measurements in boys
and girls.
Results: The results have shown improved motoric features
as a result of training process defined by sports program.
While the tests evaluating dynamic strenght showed the
most significant improvemets, the changes in flexibility
were less pronounced. By analysing the differences between
boys and girls, the results showed better results of explosive
strenght (power) in boys, while in girls the results of
dynamic strenght, flexibility and balance were better.
Conclusion: This research has demonstrated that participating
in sports activities in pre-school ages are critically
important for improving their motoric capabilities, thus
affecting their normal growth and development .
Keywords
preschool children; motoric capabilities; quantitative changes
Hrčak ID:
23422
URI
Publication date:
20.9.2007.
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