This study aimed to understand the motor competence (MC) level of Czech school-age children determined using the product-oriented Bruininks--Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (second edition) and to analyze the gender and age differences. The MC level in n = 637 children aged 6.0--11.0 years (46.6% girls) was evaluated using total motor…

Purpose: This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the ability to adjust grip strength by comparing the characteristics of force generation and relaxation from childhood to adulthood. Method: This study included 225 participants aged 6, 11, 17, and 19-23 years (adults) who performed isometric hand-grip force as follows: maximum, half…

Poor single-leg balance performance is associated with an increased risk of sustaining lower limb injuries in team sports. However, it is unclear whether this relationship is modified by the level of training experience (years of training experience). The objective of the present study was to evaluate whether soccer players' single-leg balance…

This study's objective was to examine whether the relationship between actual motor competence and physical activity (PA) in children is mediated by perceived motor competence (PMC) and physical activity enjoyment. The participants consisted of a total of 167 students (male = 92, female = 75) in 10 different schools in the fourth grade of primary…

The natural development of static lower limb varus/valgus alignments during early childhood is well understood. However, our understanding of dynamic lower limb frontal plane alignments is limited, and we lack normative descriptions of this phenomenon for both boys and girls. This study investigated dynamic lower limb alignment during…

Gender stereotype threat is a sociocultural variable that has received significant attention over the past two decades. We explored whether presenting a task as a practical and challenging activity would reduce the negative impact of implicit activation of gender stereotype threat on motor learning in adolescent girls. Forty-five adolescent girls…

The first years of life are an optimal time for developing motor competence. However, the evidence regarding motor competence in early childhood is fragmented and needs to be clearly synthesized and presented. To establish effective evidence-based decision making in research, practice, and policy for the early years, this expert statement, on…

This study examined differences in bilateral skill proficiency and frequency of use between selected and nonselected under-17 male intercounty academy Gaelic footballers. Participants (N = 82, mean age = 15.54 years, SD = 0.27) were retrospectively grouped as selected (n = 19) and nonselected (n = 63) for the final squad. A discrete skills test…

The complexity of interactions in team sports requires players to have excellent technical skills. The purpose of this study was to longitudinally investigate the predictive value of motor competence (MC) on soccer-specific skills development. Participants were n = 79 boys, aged between 5.89 and 14.63 years at baseline followed for 3 consecutive…

The worldwide increase in childhood overweight and obesity underscores the need to study variables like fundamental movement skill (FMS) levels from early childhood. This study investigated the bidirectional longitudinal relationship between body mass index (BMI) and process-oriented FMSs, including locomotor skills and object control skills in…

Background: Previous research suggests that children with or at risk of probable developmental coordination disorder (pDCD) activate different areas of the brain when performing certain motor skills compared with typically developing (TD) children. This study used functional near-infrared spectroscopy to compare prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity in…

Developing players who are adept at using both sides of the body (i.e., bilateral skill) is a challenge for coaches in many sports. With players being required to execute a range of skills with hand and foot on both sides of the body, Gaelic football provides an ideal natural laboratory for the study of laterality. Previous quantitative research…

The aim of this study was to determine the psychometric properties of the pictorial scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence for Turkish children. A total of 255 children aged 5--10 years (131 girls and 124 boys) participated in this study. One week later, a random subsample (n = 40) was implemented the scale again for test--retest…

Social functioning plays a crucial role in motor performance for children with autism spectrum disorders. In this study, we investigated whether the social abilities of children with autism spectrum disorders influence their acquisition of trained fundamental motor skills and their capacity to transfer learning to untrained fundamental motor…

The Affordances for Motor Behavior of Schoolchildren (AMBS) is a standardized self-reporting tool comprising 73 questions, organized into seven sections aiming to assess affordances in children's regular contexts. This investigation aims to establish the reliability and validity of the results obtained from the AMBS in South Indian children. The…