Participants and Non‐Participants in Organized Sports 11–14 Years: Growth, Maturity Status, Physical Activity, Motor Coordination and Physical Fitness

AIM: To compare the growth and maturity status, physical activity, motor coordination, and physical fitness of youth participants and non-participants in organized sports. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The sample included 161 boys and 187 girls 11-12 years and 128 boys and 143 girls 13-14 years. Height, weight, skeletal age (SA), physical activity, motor coordination, and fitness were assessed. Sex-specific comparisons of participants and non-participants in sport within each chronological age (CA) group were evaluated with independent-samples t-tests and one-way between-groups analyses of covariance. RESULTS: Differences in CA, SA, and body size of participants and non-participants in sport were negligible. Youth active in sport reported higher levels of physical activity within each CA group and sex. Among youth 11-12 years, boys participating in sport performed better than non-participants in the four motor coordination tasks, while girls participating in sport performed significantly better than non-participants in jumping side-to-side. Among youth 13-14 years, the two groups of boys did not differ in motor coordination, while girls participating in sport performed better than non-participants in balancing backwards. Boys active in sport in both CA groups were more proficient in most physical fitness tests, while girls active in sport were more proficient only in sit-ups in both CA groups, and in the standing long jump and bent arm hang at 13-14 years. CONCLUSION: Youth participants in sport were physically more active and generally performed better in motor coordination and fitness items, although the significance of differences varied among tasks.