Motor Performance in Preadolescence and Adolescence

1
Motor Performance in Preadolescence and
Adolescence

• Quantitative improvement
• Running
• 30yd dash speed improves by 2m/s from 5-13
• Agility run times improve by 3-6s from 5-18
• Run back and forth between two points, changing
  direction at each point

2
Jumping and Throwing

• Jumping
• Horizontal jump increase from 33-50in from 5-9
• 90in at 17
• Girls improved then leveled off around 60in 5-14
• Regressed in mid adolescence
• Vertical jumping 7-17in for boys, 7-12in for
  girls from 5-14
• Throwing
• Differences even at early ages
• Boys 24ft to 153ft from 5-17
• Girls 14-75ft from 5-15 then slight decrease
• Boys increase 5.5ft/s per year, girls increase
  3.9ft/s

3
Meta-Analysis of Gender Differences

• Pool results of any research studies
• Look at overall differences called effect size
• Running dash, long jump, agility run, sit up
  performance, grip strength all followed pattern
  of gender differences
• Gender differences are most noticeable in
  throwing (1.5-3.5 SD)
• Fine eye-motor coordination and flexibility favor
  girls

4
Factors Influencing Quantitative Performance

• Skills improve but many factors involved
• Developmental pattern, body size, physique, body
  composition, strength, and coordination
• Girls between 14-17 and past menarche
• Have adult stature, additional fat weight
• Boys increase lean muscle tissue
• Fatness equally detrimental to performance
• Slower, less flexible
• Leisure pursuits genders choose different tasks
• Recently differences are becoming smaller

5
Quantitative vs. Qualitative Assessment

• Can classify children into developmental steps or
  measure performance
• If planning experiences, qualitative is best to
  find appropriate tasks to teach
• Quantitative doesnt tell you about skill, just
  performance
• Once proficient, then quantitative may be more
  appropriate

6
Stability in Motor Behavior

• Some educators and coaches want to identify
  talent and potential
• Look at correlation coefficients
• Relative position among age group
• Generally positive correlations but not high
  enough to predict adult performance

7
Skill Refinement

• Children must learn to combine basic skills into
  sequences and respond to more dynamic
  environments
• Cant measure those complex aspects of
  performance
• Also adapt a movement in changing situations
• Educators can adapt and control situations to
  help train these adaptations
• Generate multiple levels of difficulty

8
Motor Performance in Adulthood

• Can adolescents continue to improve
• Skills all vary in their requirements
• Skills involving speed decrease
• Skills involving things like accuracy can be
  maintained or improved
• Sometimes maintain quality of performance, with
  less quantity

9
Rate Controllers

• Stereotype that performance goes downhill
• Aging causes loss of bone and muscle mass,
  especially when sedentary
• CNS is less adaptable
• Reaction time and movement time slow with age
• Found changes minimal in those who stay active
  and continue to participate
• Nervous system and muscular system are rate
  controllers

10
Age at Peak Performance

• A way to examine decline in performance
• Found large variance, dependent on sport
• Peak performances at older ages are continuing to
  increase
• More acceptable to be an older athlete

11
Performance in Adults

• Quantitative performance in adults
• More masters competitions and senior Olympics
• Decline gradually in middle age
• Big decrease after 75
• Generally, decrease is fairly minimal in active
  until after 65
• Qualitative performance in adults
• Few studies look at movement patterns
• Older adults stereotyped as having sedentary
  lifestyles

12
Walking

• Gait patterns
• Shorter step length
• Toe out more
• Decreased ankle extension
• Decreased pelvic rotation
• Walk slower
• All due to decreased musculature, flexibility and
  former injury
• Results same for men and women

13
Running

• Increase stride length to increase walking speed
• Increase stride frequency to increase running
  speed
• Dont tuck recovery leg as much
• Decreased stride length
• Fewer strides

14
Jumping Throwing

• Jumping
• Decreased knee flexion
• Slower knee extension
• Throwing
• Changes in musculoskeletal system
• Decreased shoulder flexibility
• Decreased fast twitch muscle fibers
• Sometimes movement is changed to adapt to
  limitations and no longer optimal or
  biomechanically efficient

15
General

• Changes in muscular system that reduce force
  production
• Decline in posture and balance system
• These are rate controlling factors that cause
  older adults to change their movement patterns