DETERMINING THE DIFFERENCES IN INVOLVEMENT IN ORGANIZED SPORTS/PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES BETWEEN BOYS AND GIRLS UP TO THE AGE OF 7
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32903/zs.69.2.3Abstract
Currently in Croatia there is a lack of information that would enable understanding and insight into certain differences in the involvement of boys and girls of preschool age in certain organized sports /physical activities, in martial arts and non-martial arts as well as in individual and team sports activities. The research sought to determine in witch organized sports / physical activities are involved children up to the age of 7. A sample of the respondents consisted of children up to the age of 7 (N = 1291, 675 M and 616 F) who were involved in the work of a sports association or a sports club operating in Virovitica and Osijek.
The results show that by the age of 7, boys were statistically significantly more involved in football (96.9% vs 3.1%), athletics (62.9% vs 37.1%) and judo (74.3% vs 25.7%) then girls, while girls were statistically significantly more involved in gymnastics (62.5% vs 37.5%) and dance (75% vs 25%) then boys. At age 7, girls were statistically significantly more involved in individual organized sports/physical activities then boys (58.6% vs 41.4%), while boys were significantly more involved in the team's sports / physical activity then girls (66.7% vs 33.3%). Children up to the age of 7 show a significantly higher inclination, meaning they are significantly more involved in non-combat and individual sports/physical activities. In addition, up to the age of 7 boys statistically significantly participate in non-combat sports activities, while girls statistically significantly participate in non-combat and individual sporting activities.
Boys and girls ages 7 participate equally in organized sports / physical activities, and significant differences between boys and girls appear in the selection and affinity of individual sports activities. There is a connection between choosing a sports and the sex of a pre-school child, but the reasons for these gender differences are not so clear.
