Physical fitness and motor coordination monitoring during enriched sport activities in a sample of children living in Europe. The Esa Program

Enriched Sport Activities Program (ESA) is an Evidence-based Practice Exercise Program cofounded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union (Key action:Sport - 579661-EPP1-2016-2-IT-SPO-SCP). It aims to enhance social inclusion, equal opportunities and psycho-physical well being in school-age children with typical development and special needs trough sport activities enriched by cognitive tasks. A multidisciplinary approach has been employed; in detail, health - and skills-related physical fitness components, as well as developmental psychology and neuroscience research are the theoretical basis to implement an evidence-based program suitable to increase sport compliance in 7 different countries. A growing body of studies has identified sport and physical activities (PA) as key factors to contribute to wellbeing and health in children and youths with typical and atypical development

Cognitive and Motivational Monitoring during Enriched Sport Activities in a Sample of Children Living in Europe. The Esa Program

Enriched Sport Activities (ESA) Program is an Evidence-based Practice Exercise Program cofounded by the Erasmus + Programme of the European Union (Key action: Sport-579661-EPP-1-2016-2-IT-SPO-SCP) [...

Field-based tests for the assessment of physical fitness in children and adolescents practicing sport: a systematic review within the ESA program

High levels of physical fitness (PF) can positively affect both health and cognitive function, thus monitoring its levels in youth can help increase health and quality of life in adult populations later on. This systematic review aims to identify PF field-based tests used in young European populations practicing sport to find tools that are adequate for the considered target involving a new battery within the Enriched Sport Activities (ESA) project. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement was followed. In the 83 identified articles, the main tests used were: vertical/horizontal jumps (for muscular strength/power); pushups, running at maximum effort, sit-ups (for muscular strength/endurance); multistage nonintermittent and intermittent tests (for aerobic endurance); sit and reach (for flexibility); sprinting and agility T-tests (for speed and agility, respectively); 10 × 5 m shuttle run (SR) (for both speed and agility). Few studies assessed coordination, reaction time, power, and balance. Although the selected tests are widely used and validated, they do not determine all PF aspects and do not reflect sport-specific features.A final decision was made for the inclusion of the following tests: standing broad jump, seated medicine ball throw, 20 m SR test, 30 m sprint, Illinois test, and a new test, i.e., the crunning test, to assess different skill-related components at once. The use of this combination of tests allows for the assessment of all PF components and can help planning effective training programs and cultivate sporting talent.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio