# The influence of sports on the motor development of preschool children
[](https://hub.ufzg.hr/uploads/images/gallery/2024-09/logo-stoo2-1-no.png) | **Teaching (Today for) Tomorrow:** **Bridging the Gap between the Classroom and Reality** 3rd International Scientific and Art Conference Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb in cooperation with the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts |
##### **Mateja Kunješić Sušilović, Marijana Hraski, Jelena Šiško** *Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb, * *mateja.kunjesic@ufzg.hr* |
**Section - Kinesiology education and sports** | **Paper number: 57** | **Category: Original scientific paper** |
##### **Abstract ** |
The motor skills that a child develops during childhood greatly influence his abilities later in life. Although it is known that physical activity is one of the most important factors for the healthy development of children, some studies show that more and more children are insufficiently active, which results in obesity and numerous other health losses. Therefore, the goal of this research was to determine the current state of motor skills of preschool children and whether there is a difference in the motor skills of children who play sports and those who do not play any sport. 40 children from a kindergarten in Zagreb between the ages of 5 and 6.5, participated in the research. Within the research, an affirmative hypothesis was put forward, which shows that there are differences in motor skills between preschool children who play sports and those who do not, in favour of those who play sports. This hypothesis was partially confirmed due to the fact that the child athletes showed better motor skills in 4 measured variables, namely: backward polygon, sit-ups in 30 seconds, standing long jump and hand tapping. In the two measured variables, the results show that there is no statistically significant difference between athletes and non-athletes, namely: standing on one leg on a block and forward bend. Although it was shown in the two measured variables that statistically there is no big difference between athletes and non-athletes, the results were still better for athletes, which proves that sports undoubtedly influence children's motor skills and that adults should encourage children whenever possible to enrols in sports or to any physical activity. |
***Key words:*** |
*motor skills; parental support; quality of life* |
VARIABLES | ARITHMETIC MEAN | MINIMUM VALUE | MAXIMUM VALUE | STANDARD DEVIATION |
Standing on one leg on a block | 27.2 | 12 | 30 | 5.9 |
Backward polygon | 15.1 | 9.69 | 28 | 5.3 |
Sit-ups in 30 seconds | 13.1 | 8 | 22 | 6.3 |
Standing long jump | 117.1 | 94 | 142 | 6.3 |
Hand tapping | 32.6 | 22 | 44 | 7.4 |
Forward bend | -3.9 | -22 | 8 | 6.7 |
Body height | 121.1 | 110 | 135 | 8.1 |
Body weight | 22.1 | 16 | 30 | 3.3 |
BMI | 15.0 | 12.8 | 16.7 | 1.2 |
VARIABLES | ARITHMETIC MEAN | MINIMUM VALUE | MAXIMUM VALUE | STANDARD DEVIATION |
Standing on one leg on a block | 25.1 | 5 | 30 | 7.3 |
Backward polygon | 21.2 | 11.54 | 42.27 | 7.0 |
Sit-ups in 30 seconds | 9.7 | 4 | 15 | 2.9 |
Standing long jump | 100.2 | 32 | 133 | 21.0 |
Hand tapping | 27.8 | 19 | 38 | 5.5 |
Forward bend | 0.2 | -19 | 15.5 | 8.4 |
Body height | 122.2 | 107 | 138 | 6.9 |
Body weight | 23.3 | 12 | 36 | 5.3 |
BMI | 15.4 | 10.5 | 23.4 | 2.5 |
SOLB | BP | SU30 | SLJ | HT | FB | |
Athletes | 27.2 | 15.1 | 13.1 | 117.1 | 32.6 | -3.9 |
Non-athletes | 25.1 | 21.2 | 9.7 | 100.2 | 27.8 | 0.2 |
T - Test | 0.341 | 0.002\* | 0.002\* | 0.006\* | 0.018\* | 0.102 |
SOLB | BP | SU30 | SLJ | HT | FB | |
*r* | 0.15 | 0.48 | 0.47 | 0.43 | 0.37 | 0.26 |
*r2* | 0.02 | 0.23 | 0.22 | 0.18 | 0.14 | 0.07 |
Adapted *r2* | 0.00 | 0.21 | 0.20 | 0.16 | 0.12 | 0.04 |
Standard deviation | 6.66 | 5.77 | 3.26 | 18.34 | 6.20 | 7.72 |
Number of measurements | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
[](https://hub.ufzg.hr/uploads/images/gallery/2024-09/logo-stoo2-1-no.png) | **Odgoj danas za sutra:** **Premošćivanje jaza između učionice i realnosti** 3\. međunarodna znanstvena i umjetnička konferencija Učiteljskoga fakulteta Sveučilišta u Zagrebu Suvremene teme u odgoju i obrazovanju – STOO4 u suradnji s Hrvatskom akademijom znanosti i umjetnosti |
**Sažetak** ** ** |
Uključivanje djece rane dobi u sport doprinosi njihovom fizičkom i psihičkom zdravlju. Motoričke sposobnosti koje dijete razvija tijekom djetinjstva uvelike utječu na njegove sposobnosti u daljnjem životu. Iako je poznato da je tjelesna aktivnost jedna od najvažnijih čimbenika za zdrav razvoj djece, neka istraživanja pokazuju da je sve više djece nedovoljno aktivno što rezultira pretilošću i brojnim drugim gubitcima za zdravlje. Iznimno je bitno educirati roditelje i odgojitelje o važnosti sporta, na koji način on pridonosi boljoj kvaliteti života te koje sve benefite djeca ostvaruju baveći se nekom tjelesnom aktivnošću odnosno sportom. Stoga je cilj ovoga istraživanja bio utvrditi aktualno stanje motoričkih sposobnosti djece predškolske dobi te postoji li razlika u motoričkim sposobnostima djece koja se bave sportom i one djece koja se ne bave ni jednim sportom. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 40 djece jednoga zagrebačkog dječjeg vrtića, u dobi od 5 do 6,5 godina. Unutar istraživanja postavljena je afirmativna hipoteza koja pokazuje da postoji razlika u motoričkim sposobnostima između predškolske djece koja se bave i koja se ne bave sportom u korist djece koja treniraju neki sport. Ova hipoteza djelomično je potvrđena zbog toga što su djeca sportaši pokazali bolje motoričke sposobnosti u 4 mjerene varijable, a to su: poligon natraške, trbušnjaci u 30 sekundi, skok u dalj iz mjesta te taping rukom. U dvije mjerene varijable rezultati pokazuju da nema statistički značajne razlike između sportaša i nesportaša, a to su: stajanje na jednoj nozi na kocki i pretklon trupa. Iako je u dvije mjerene varijable pokazano da statistički nema velike razlike između sportaša i nesportaša rezultati su ipak bili bolji kod sportaša što dokazuje da sport nedvojbeno utječe na motoričke sposobnosti djece te da bi odrasli trebali poticati djecu kada je god to moguće da se uključe u sportsku ili na bilo kakvu tjelesnu aktivnost. |
***Ključne riječi:*** |
*kvaliteta života; motoričke sposobnosti; podrška roditelja* |