Wall Drop Punt Kick & Catch: Contributions towards the creation of a new gross manipulative coordination test

Abstract

This study aimed to search for age and sex differences on a manipulative eye-segmental (hand and foot) coordination task. It represents the first step towards a possible creation of a manipulative eye-hand and eye-foot coordination test that may be used in motor competence test batteries. One hundred and sixty-eight children (85 boys and 83 girls), with a mean age of 12.79 years old (±1.56) were assessed. Subjects had 30 seconds to achieve as many ball impacts as possible on a front wall (two meters apart), following a drop punt kick, rebound on the wall and catch sequence. Compared to girls’, boys’ performance was significantly better (p < .001) on each studied age (10, 11, 13 and 14), with large effect sizes (all four Cohen’s d values over 1.30). Besides, 10 and 11 years-old subjects’ performance, both in boys and in girls, was significantly lower than their 13 and 14 years-old subjects’ counterparts (p < .001, except for the comparison between 13 and 14 years-old subjects, on girls, where p < .01). All related effect sizes were large (all Cohen’s d values over 1.03). Results confirm literature, as boys’ performance on this manipulative task was significantly better than girls’ one. The results seem to be promising about the possible use of the task in question as an eye-hand and eye-foot coordination test in future. Further research needs to be performed, namely aiming its validation (testing its reliability and concurrent validity).