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GROSS MOTOR SKILLS AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVEL: IS THERE ANY GENDER DIFFERENCES IN NINE YEARS OLD CHILDREN?
Views:394Proper growth and development of young school children require mastering different skills, especially gross motor skills - basic locomotor and manipulative skills. It is essential to monitor the physical activity of nine-year-old children necessary for further proper development and healthy habits, which will continue into adulthood. This study aims to determine physical activity level, BMI, and gender differences in the performance of gross motor skills in children aged nine years (± six months). The study involved 40 participants (20 girls and 20 boys). Their body height, body weight,
and body mass index were 140.46 ± 5.72 cm; 37.84 ± 8.21 cm; and 19.09 ± 3.56, respectively. All participants completed the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children and performed the Test of Gross Motor Development, Second Edition (TGMD-2), and two sub-tests of BOT-2 (Speed and Agility and Upper-Limb Coordination). T-test for independent samples was used to compare groups according to physical activity level (physically active and inactive group) and explore interactions with gender and BMI, and gross motor skills variables. F-values, p-values, and partial eta squared (ɳ2) values were reported as MANOVA outcomes. The results showed a significant difference between physical activity level and locomotor skills but not in manipulative skills. Further research should focus on various exercise programs that contribute to developing skills and participation in organized physical activity of children of different ages.
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DISTRIBUTION OF ASSESSMENT VALUES OF PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN WITH DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENTAL RATES
Views:169In the past two decades, a strong negative trend can be observed in the development of the abilities of preschool children. Fewer and fewer children meet the criteria for school readiness by the age of six. Children with high levels of neurological immaturity do not even start school but are already lagging. The developmental deficit of partial skills is so significant that specific learning difficulties can be predicted as early as the end of kindergarten age. Although this large backlog can be made up, extra effort must be made on the part of both parents and teachers. With our research, we sought to answer whether the performance of preschool-age children, which deteriorates year by year, covers all partial abilities or if areas with a particularly negative trend can be identified. The most obvious tool for checking children's neurological maturity is the measurement of motor and sensorimotor functions. Based on the measurement results of 58 large groups of kindergarten children (6 ± 1 years) with different developmental rates, we examined the values of the skills that need development and predicted the occurrence of learning difficulties in the examined sample. In the sensory and sensorimotor functions group (18 tests), 40 of the 58 children examined need to develop their gestalt vision. During the elementary movements (12 tests) examination, walking on the outer sole appeared to be an area for improvement in 39 out of 58 children. Among the examined areas of body perception (6 tests), the values of the sense of balance and the cross-schemes were the highest, with 31 points. The specialty of fine motor skills and hand use (3 tests) is that all test segments received a value above 30 points.
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EFFECTS OF THE MULTISPORT ACTIVITY PROGRAM ON YOUTH FOOTBALL PLAYERS’ MOTOR SKILL DEVELOPMENT
Views:377Objective: Our study aimed to compare the dynamic leg strength, acceleration, running speed, agility, and ball-handling skills of young football players.
Material and method: Forty-two players members of the Szeged-Csanád Grosics Academy participated in the so-called "Multisport Activity Program" (SG) (nsg=42), whereas the control group (CG) involved players from the academy's partner clubs (ncg=109). Our testing procedure included: standing long jump, 10 m, and 30 m run, COD 505, and T-Test with ball dribbling.
Results: We found that the dynamic leg power of the SG players was significantly improved. The means of the T-tests demonstrated (p<0.001) improved ball dribbling skills in the SG group. We found no significant difference in the COD 505 test results. The results of the standing long jump, 10 m, 30 m, COD 505, and ball control tests are strongly correlated; however, none explain the minor COD difference.
Conclusion: It is beneficial for players to participate in multisport sessions involving various agility and ball control tasks. The COD 505 test results demonstrated smaller differences between dominant and non-dominant sides in SG participants. We suggest they are less likely to develop unilateral movement patterns that lead to overtraining injuries. The results indicate that implementing a "Multisport activity program" benefits youth athlete.
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MAXIMIZING JUMP PERFORMANCE: THE ROLE OF PLYOMETRICS IN YOUTH FOOTBALL TRAINING
Views:466Vertical jump training is a fundamental method for the physical conditioning of athletes. The synergy of motor skills exhibited during such movements substantially contributes to achieving motor acts and actions with higher performance indices. In football, vertical jumping, like other specific factors, is an essential element that can determine the outcome of a match. Football players need to be physically prepared to handle any complex situations that may arise during a game.
Our study aims to evaluate the impact of plyometric training on vertical jump height performance in young football players.
A total of 16 subjects, U11 football players, were randomly assigned equally into a PL group (N=8), which followed a plyometric training routine for 6 weeks, and a control group (N=8), which followed the routines set by the club team's coach. They were evaluated in two phases – an initial and a final phase – using Optojump testing equipment. The results obtained were compared using statistical and mathematical methods of descriptive analysis, the Shapiro-Wilk test for normality distribution, and the Independent Samples T-test.
Additionally, Levene's test was used to analyze the type of variances in the distributions.
Our study confirmed that a customized plyometric training routine can significantly improve vertical jump performance, considering age-specific characteristics.
Our investigations suggest that integrating this type of training into the subjects' routines can bring significant benefits to the development of motor skills, specifically to young football players, offering exciting perspectives for optimizing their performance in the long term.
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COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF COGNITIVE ABILITIES STRESS TOLERANCE AND DECISION-MAKING PROCESS IN NOVICE AND EXPERIENCED ATHLETES
Views:710Introduction: Cognitive skills are essential in team sports. Perception, decision-making (tactical thinking, learning, attention, thinking, emotions), stress tolerance, and even the level of motor and technical-tactical skills all affect performance.
Objective: We found a significant difference in stress tolerance of novice / young and experienced team sport players (BALOGH, DONKA 2020). Our results showed that experienced athletes have higher level of stress tolerance. However, as this was a descriptive study, we intended to support our statement involving more number of subjects, and an analysis of cognitive abilities.
Method: A cross-sectional experimental study was performed on 41 male and 13 female team sport (handball, volleyball and football) players. We used the VTS DT software package for cognitive abilities and the MDE Heidelberg StressHolter (gastro, HR, TH, GSR) for stress measurement. During the 35-minute measurement process, a state of rest was measured in the first stage, a response to a 10-minute stress situation (VTS-DT for the cognitive test) in the second stage, and a state of rest and latency in the third stage.
Results: We found a significant relationship between stress tolerance and the cognitive ability of female and male participants. Our results demonstrated that football players had a lower level of stress tolerance than other team sport players. They also tent to make more mistakes in the VTS-DT test.
Conclusions: The classification into novice and experienced categories need to be done more uniformly in the future. We are aware of it, that the unequal number of participants by sports, is one of the limitations of our study. However, it is encouraging that significant results demonstrate a strong relationship between stress tolerance and the number of appropriate decisions. These results reveal other areas of research for us.
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EXAMINATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND COGNITIVE SKILLS
Views:1314Introduction: Examining physical activity and cognitive function has become a popular topic of research since the quality of these two components influences our quality of life and performance. It is very important for both sexes, all ages and life situations.
Objective: Determining a type of physical activity (PA) that has an effect on both cognitive functions (CF) and motor skills and performance. Clarifying or promoting measurement methods, or developing new methods that meet current standards and objectives. The results may be used to help to impove performance in all areas.
Method: Primary purpose of our study was to conduct a review, in order to summarize the relevant literature on the following topics: sex, age, fitness level, possible illness.
Conclusions: We found a significant relationship between cognitive functions and physical activity, which can be transposition in a proper way, both in terms of living standards and performance. On the other hand, there are a lack of uniform, accurate measurement methods. Thhere is a need for specific physical activity routines that specifically improve the level of cognitive function, even at an older age.
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THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DECISION-MAKING AND GAME INTELLIGENCE WITH BASKETBALL STATISTICS
Views:967Introduction: basketball is one of the most popular teams sports worldwide. It is generally regarded as the second most popular sport globally, with around 450 million registered players (RÁTGÉBER et al., 2019). The attention, decision-making, interaction with the participants, and recovery of a basketball player are complex. It can be influenced by internal and external factors as well as by different stimuli. The current mental and physical state of athletes affects their performance. Experience, reception and adaptation of developmental stimuli determine performance during the game. Cognitive abilities, executive functions, and inhibition are all psychological processes that can help or hinder concentration. It is essential to assess and measure to enhance sports performance and provide objective support for our subjective assumptions. Many technical and tactical elements characterize basketball, but it is also essential to have relevant motor and affective skills when making decisions. Players need to adapt to sudden and varied stimuli and make the most intelligent and appropriate decision to achieve a positive outcome. Live statistics may indicate the effectiveness of decision-making during the game. In the present study, we analyzed the results of the Color-Word Interference Test and Trail Making Test prior to and after the games.
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EXAMINATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DANCE AND COGNITIVE SKILLS DANCE AND DEMENTIA
Views:1380Introduction: The study of dance and cognitive abilities is a common research topic today, as well as many studies and articles on the aspects of physical activity and cognitive relationships. Studying the topic is essential, as the two components actively influence our performance and quality of life, regardless of gender, age, or education
Objective: To examine the effect of dancing activities has a beneficial effect on motor and cognitive abilities. Furthermore, to investigate the interaction of dance and dementia. Researching exercise programs that do not worsen or accelerate the processes associated with aging, but help to stagnate dementia at that time.
Method: For analysis, we used an overview of English and Hungarian studies focusing on dance and dementia from Google Scholar and Research Gate.
Results: According to most research articles, various dance therapies have an impact on cognitive abilities, and studies have shown that dancing exercise programs (either in pairs or solo) do not impair the health of people with dementia. Many studies do not provide accurate test data, which would be extremely important as further research is conducted.
Conclusions: First, there is a significant relationship between cognitive function and physical activity. On the other hand, there are no specific procedures, exercise programs, or measurement methods that can improve dementia.