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); push-ups, running at maximum effort, sit-ups (for muscular strength/endurance); multistage non-intermittent and intermittent tests (for aerobic endurance); sit and reach (for flexibility); sprinting and agility T-tests (for speed and agility, respectively); 10 x 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 eective training programs and cultivate sporting talent

The “E3D+VET” Erasmus+ project: Interdisciplinary teaching and learning in VET centres through 3D printing

The "E3D+VET" (Erasmus+ for the immersion in 3D printing of VET centres) is an Erasmus+ KA2 project aimed at developing educational resources for the VET system, providing new competences to both teachers and students and serving as important means of innovation and acquisition of effective knowledge on interdisciplinary STEAM topics. The project started on October 2017 and it will last up to the end of March 2020. In this work, we present the main outcomes from the project activities carried out so far. In particular, after a description of the general objectives of the project, we introduce the methodology developed for making 3D-printing a valuable resource for supporting physics teaching in a highly motivating learning environment and three didactical exercises as examples of 3D-printing based tools that can support teachers in their physics class. As a part of the project plan, here we finally present the preliminary training program specifically designed for the teacher professional development about the knowledge of 3D-printing potential for an effective teaching of physics contents and, at the same time, for improving student transversal abilities

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). It aims to enhance social inclusion, equal opportunities and psycho-physical wellbeing in children with typical development and special needs. This aim will be pursued through two ways: (1) Children and preadolescents’ participation in Enriched Sport Activities (ESA) Program; (2) Parents’ involvement and education on cognitive, motivational and social benefits of Physical Activities (PA) in their children. Recent research showed that high-level cognitive processes, such as inhibition, shifting, working memory and planning, can be improved by aerobic exercise programs following both single bouts of exercise and longer trainings from moderate to vigorous intensity [1]. Nevertheless, in the developmental age, structured sport activities, such as martial arts, basketball, soccer, rowing and dancing, act by delivering both physical and psychological benefits. The former involve physical fitness such as cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and motor skills such as coordination, whilst the latter concern enjoyment, self-confidence and self-esteem, a sense of belonging and social support [2–4]. The effectiveness of PMA (Programma Motorio Arricchito), a structured motor program on coordination and executive functioning in kindergarten children, has been demonstrated [5]