Affiliation:
1. Faculty of Education, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2. Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
In the early childhood stages of development, ball games prove to be a crucial catalyst for improving motor abilities by actively engaging children in various physical movements that promote improved coordination, balance, and spatial awareness, while supporting important social interactions and cognitive skills essential for comprehensive growth. This study examines the effects of an 8-week ball game intervention program (tennis, football, basketball etc.) on the motor abilities of 6- to 7-year-old children (n = 47) in their regular physical education classes. The experimental group (n = 24) participated in 45-minute sessions twice weekly, while the control group (n = 23) received no additional organized physical activities. The hypotheses underlying the study suggest that the experimental group participating in the 45-minute sessions of the structured ball game program twice a week will show statistically significant improvements in these motor abilities compared to the control group.Motor abilities were assessed using the BOT-2 subtests for fine motor integration, manual dexterity, balance, and bilateral coordination and were assessed both before and after the intervention period in both groups. The BOT-2 subtests are standardized measures developed to comprehensively assess specific motor abilities. They were selected for their proven reliability and validity in assessing the motor abilities affected by the intervention and provide a solid basis for the outcome analysis of the study. Data was subjected to repeated-measures ANOVA analysis using a 2×2 design, with partial eta squared (η) used to assess the difference between the EXP and CON groups. Results showed remarkable improvements in fine motor integration (p = 0.016), general fine motor skills (0.021), bilateral coordination (0.004), balance (0.000), and body coordination (0.000) among participants in the intervention group. This study highlights the transformative potential of just two additional weekly sessions of various ball games to improve motor abilities in 6- to 7-year-olds.