Games are an important means of developing motor skills in physical education classes, as well as in sports more generally. Furthermore, they play a vital role in children's upbringing. The ball game Between Two Fires (BTF) is a popular and frequently used activity in primary schools. Despite its wide popularity, opinions vary regarding its effectiveness in promoting children's motor development.
The purpose of this master’s thesis is to examine how team formation – based on gender and skill level – affects both physical load and children’s satisfaction while playing BTF in 4th and 5th grade primary school students.
The intensity and duration of physical load were measured using Actigraph wGT3X-BT accelerometers, and the data were analysed using ActiLife software. The frequency of technical and tactical activities was assessed through video analysis using Dartfish software. The impact of team formation on satisfaction, perceived motor competence, physical exertion, and game popularity was evaluated through a questionnaire.
The results show that team composition significantly affects both physical load and children’s satisfaction with the BTF game. The average load intensity was 35% of time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity, indicating that the game does not meet the recommended intensity threshold. Game duration was strongly influenced by gender and the individual motor abilities of players. It was found that after 61% of the total playtime, half of the participants were no longer actively involved in the game, which substantially reduced the overall intensity and load.
On average, players executed 13 throws and 11 defensive actions per minute. There were significant differences in the frequency and success of passes and throws based on gender and skill level. Regardless of gender, skill, or grade, the highest levels of satisfaction were observed in heterogeneous teams, while the lowest were recorded in homogeneous teams.
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