Validity of an Athletic Skills Track among 6- to 12-year-old children. Issue 21 (1st November 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hoeboer, Joris; De Vries, Sanne; Krijger-Hombergen, Michiel; Wormhoudt, René; Drent, Annelies; Krabben, Kay; Savelsbergh, Geert
• Is Part Of: Journal of sports sciences. Volume 34:Issue 21(2016)
• Page Start: 2095
• Page End: 2105
• Publication Date: 2016-11-01
• Subjects: Physical education -- child -- motor competence -- health -- paediatrics -- validity; Sports -- Periodicals; Sports -- Physiological aspects -- Periodicals; Sports -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; 612.044
• DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2016.1151920
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0264-0414

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility and validity of an Athletic Skills Track (AST) to assess fundamental movement skills among 6- to 12-year-old children in a physical education setting. Four hundred sixty-three Dutch children (211 girls, 252 boys) completed three tests: the Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder (KTK) and two Athletic Skills Tracks (AST-1, AST-2). The validity of AST-1 and AST-2 was examined by correlating the time (s) needed to complete the tracks and the KTK Motor Quotient (MQ). Overall, there was a low correlation between AST-1 and the KTK MQ ( r = –0.474 ( P < 0.01)) and a moderate correlation between AST-2 and the KTK MQ (r = –0.502 ( P < 0.01)). When split up by age group the associations were much higher and ranged between r = –0.469 and r = –0.767), with the exception of the low correlation coefficient of the AST-2 in 7-year-olds. The results indicate that fundamental movement skills of 6- to 12-year-old children can be assessed with a quick, convenient and low-cost motor competence test in a physical education setting, i.e., an Athletic Skills Track. Future studies should further assess the reliability, discriminative ability and validity of age-specific versions of the AST.