Effects of an extra-curricular physical education program on children and young adults' motor performance

This work is aimed at evaluating the motor performances for strength, speed, motor coordination and the development of motor skills at different ages and at comparing the results of the participants of the extra-curricular (supplementary) PE programme with the results of pupils attending the traditional PE programme. The sample (Table 1) is composed of 491 children and young adults (M: 235, F: 256), attending primary and secondary school, divided into three age groups: 8-9, 10-11, and 12-13 years. It was assumed that pupils participating in a 6-month extra-curricular programme of physical activities would show a higher level of motor skills than the pupils involved in a traditional PE programme. Each participant carried out motor tests at the end of the attended programme (June 2010). Participants’ BMI values were then compared. This work confirms the results of previous studies that an extra-curricular PE programme, during or outside of school hours, can maximize the participants’ levels of physical activity and motor performance. The differences that emerged in the different age groups, for males and for females, in the 20-m dribbling test (motor coordination) could be explained by the variety of activities, while the differences on other tests could be ascribed to higher levels of physical activity and time of motor activities.The results showed that PE classes with a greater number of weekly hours can favour the increase of children’s motor performance. The processes of motor maturation, development and learning can hide the effects of motor activities programmes on the performance during the developmental age.