The development of motor performance is largely dependent on a child's physical activity, making it important to understand which activities are most beneficial during key stages of their development. The purpose of our master's thesis was to determine whether children who have been involved in dance activities for at least a few years have a better developed coordination, sense of rhythm and balance compared to their peers. This could help establish whether dance is an appropriate choice of sport to improve these abilities in late childhood and thereby provide a strong foundation for the child's further development in other sports and in life in general. We also analysed whether the volume of training is an important factor in the development of the abilities mentioned previously.
The sample included 123 pupils in grades 6 and 7, aged between 10 and 14 years. Of these, 47 children were regularly involved in dance activities, either as part of extracurricular/interest activities or through a dance club, while 76 children did not participate in any dance activities. The study consisted of a questionnaire and 8 movement tests to determine the participants' coordination, balance and rhythm.
We have confirmed that children who participate in dance activities (recreational or competitive) have better developed coordination, rhythm and balance. The dancers performed better in the movement tests, highlighting the positive effects of regular dance activities on motor performance. We also found that higher frequency of weekly dance activities further improved these motor skills, confirming that dance contributes to better motor development in children and provides a strong foundation for later specialization in various sports disciplines.
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