Daniela Falat Leütterová1, Ingrid Ružbarská1, Tamara Lukáčová1
1University of Presov, Faculty of Education, Presov, Slovakia
Motor Competencies among Athletic Population of 9- and 10- Year-Old Children
Sport Mont 2024, 22(2), 39-43 | DOI: 10.26773/smj.240706
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess the basic motor competencies of primary school children in relation to their participation in sports. The research involved 86 children aged 9 and 10 (46 boys, 40 girls), comprising a group of 53 athletes (30 boys, 23 girls) and 33 non-athletes (16 boys, 17 girls). Using the MOBAK 3–4 test battery, the study compared motor competence data between these groups. Results indicated that sports-playing children demonstrated motor skills comparable to non-athletes in terms of object-movement (OM) abilities. Specifically, significant differences were observed in OM skills (mean =4.52), notably in the throwing test (mean =0.94) favoring the sporting population (p<0.05). While in other OM tests there was no difference between the groups. In the self-movement (SM) area, there was no difference between the athletic and non-athletic group. However, the overall score for SM (mean =3.43) demonstrated significance in favor of sports-playing children. The total score (mean =7.96) significantly favored the sports-playing group (p<0.05). The findings confirm that children engaged in regular sports activities exhibit higher levels of physical literacy, as reflected in their measurable motor competencies. This underscores the importance of incorporating motor competence diagnostics into school practices to enhance physical education initiatives.
Keywords
primary school children, motor development, MOBAK test
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