The Impact of Age, Gender and Technical Experience on Three Motor Coordination Skills in Children Practicing Taekwondo

Bibliographic Data

ID15510374
AuthorsStefanos Boutios (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, corresponding author), Giovanni Fiorilli (0000-0002-3786-7818, University of Molise), Andrea Buonsenso (0000-0003-2560-5789, University of Molise), Panagiotis Daniilidis (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki), Marco Centorbi (0000-0001-6188-1137, University of Molise), Mariano Intrieri (University of Molise), Alessandra di Cagno (0000-0003-4517-3100, Foro Italico University of Rome)
Year2021
Volume18
Issue11
Pages5998-5998
Publication date2021-06-03
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1661-7827 • E-ISSN: 1660-4601
PublisherMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3390/ijerph18115998
PMID34204965
OpenAlexW3167239992
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited39

The study aim was to investigate the age, gender and technical level on motor coordination abilities of Taekwondo children. One hundred and fifteen children (83 male, 32 female), aged 7.76 ± 1.71 years, divided in three different groups, under 8 (5-7 years), under 10 (8-9 years) and under 12 (10-11 years), underwent three coordination skills tests: the ruler drop test (RDT), assessing visual reaction time, the hexagonal test (HT), assessing agility, and the target kick test (TKT), assessing kicking ability. MANOVA showed significant gender differences for TKT, in which females showed higher scores than males ( p = 0.033). Significant differences were found in HT and TKT, where the under 12 group showed higher scores than younger athletes ( p < 0.001). No differences amongst different age groups were found in RDT, showing that this could be a good predictor of Taekwondo performance, assessed at an early stage. High-level athletes showed better scores in all the tests than the low levels, as it was expected. Coordinative performance improves with age and is positively influenced by practicing a sports activity. The predisposition to a particular sport with a well-planned training may lead to a motor proficiency comparable to that reached by older athletes and better than same-age athletes

Age groups · Athletes · Developmental psychology · Motor coordination · Multivariate analysis of variance · Physical therapy · Significant difference · Test (biology · Children's Physical and Motor Development · Demography · Medicine · Psychology · Sports and Physical Education Research · Sports Performance and Training · Internal Medicine

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