American Alliance For Health, Physical Education, Recreation And Dance Research Articles

The Skill Related Physical Fitness Profile As Determinants Of Nigerian Basketballers Playing At Different Levels

This study adapted the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) skill tests developed in America and reported by Joyner and Macmanis, (2007) for basketballers’ performance skills assessment and the Physical Fitness Profile. There was also an adaptation of the protocol of International Committee on the Standardization of Physical Fitness Tests as reported by Pilicz, Prezwede, Dobosz and Nwacka –Dobosz (2002) to measure power, agility, balance speed, reaction time, and coordination. The ex post facto research design was used for the study. The systematic sampling technique was used involving where every second of other subject in the population was chosen. In all, two hundred and sixteen (216) participants were used for the study out of the total population of four hundred and thirty –two (432). The instruments used for the study were the AAHPERD (2002) basketball skill tests and the physical fitness profile tests. The inferential statistics applied for the data analyses were the one way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multiple regressions. The alpha was set at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that physical fitness profile was significant, depicting that the Nigerian elite basketballers are not doing well in this area. It is, therefore, concluded that physical fitness profile and performance skills is a relevant determinant of playing level in the game of basketball in Nigeria. It is, therefore, recommended that regular training and mastery of skills which promotse fitness status, high quality health, and wellness should be instituted in coaching and conditioning Nigerian basketballers.

Assessment of Agility in Elderly Population of Islamabad

Background: Agility is considered as one of the important components of physical fitness. In older adults, it is of utmost importance in response to any stimulus. The objective of this study was to determine normative values of agility in elderly population of Islamabad.
 Methods: A Cross-Sectional Survey was conducted in community settings of Islamabad from February–July 2019 after approval by the Ethical Review Committee of Foundation University Islamabad. The calculated sample size was found to be 267, but due to missing data, analysis was done on 250(100 females and 150 males). Participants were selected by convenient sampling. Physically independent participants were included and diseased population (severe musculoskeletal, neurological, and cardiopulmonary disorders), decreased functional status affecting hearing, vision, memory recall was excluded from the study. PAR-Q was utilized in uncovering any possible health risks linked to exercise. For evaluation of agility, the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (AAHPERD) Agility Test was performed. Agility scoring is based on time in seconds, with higher score representing less agility, and agility score of less than 62 represents good agility. Data were analyzed through SPSS version 21.
 Results: The mean age, BMI and agility score of participants were 60.7±5.81 years, 26±4.30 kg/m² and 22.42±5.2 respectively. There was significant difference (P<0.001) in agility between males and females, with the mean agility score higher in females as compared to males. Similarly, Agility score was significantly high in females as compared to males in BMI range of 18.5 to >30 and all age categories.
 Conclusion: Elderly population of Pakistan has good agility score

The Roles of Growth, Maturation, Physical Fitness, and Technical Skills on Selection for a Portuguese Under-14 Years Basketball Team.

This study investigated the roles of growth, maturation, physical fitness, and technical skills on selection onto an under-14 years basketball team. The sample consisted of 150 male players, aged 13.3 ± 0.7 years, divided into selected (SE—top players chosen by coaching staff to form an elite regional team) and non-selected (NSE—remaining players) groups. Anthropometry, body composition, biological maturation, and training experience data were collected using standard procedures. Physical fitness was assessed using the Yo-Yo IE2, sit-ups, handgrip, squat jump, countermovement jump, 3 kg medicine ball throw, 20 m sprint, and T-Test. Technical skills were acquired using the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (AAHPERD)’s basketball-specific test battery. Groups were compared using a Student’s t test and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA), with training experience and biological maturation as covariates. A forward stepwise discriminant function analysis was employed to identify variables that maximized the separation between groups. The results showed that SE players were taller, had greater fat-free mass, greater strength, power, and agility, and were technically more skillful compared with NSE players (p < 0.05) when controlling for training experience and maturation. It was also found that players were best discriminated by the 3 kg medicine ball throw and control dribble, revealing the importance of qualified training to achieve excellence in youth basketball. 92.7% of the basketballers were correctly classified into their original groups. It is therefore confirmed that the additional effects of training experience and biological maturation positively influenced the performance of young basketball players. We recommend that coaches focus not only on players’ body sizes, but also on their skill level, especially during adolescence, when selecting teams in order to promote sustainable long-term development.

The Effects of Morphological Structure and Fatigue on the Passing Skill in Pre-Pubescent Basketball Players

The aim of the study was to examine the effects of morphological structures and fatigue levels of pre-pubescent basketball players on basketball passing skill. Twenty-three male basketball players (age = 10.5 ± 0.71) who train regularly participated in the study voluntarily. The American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) Basketball Pass Test was used to determine participants' passing skills. To determine the fatigue intensity participants were required to perform as many squat thrusts as possible in one minute. The Heath-Carter method was used to determine somatotype characteristics. In the statistical analysis, Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficient was used in determining the level of relationship between parameters, while Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test was used to determine the difference between rest passing skill and fatigue passing skill. The endomorphic structure had a negative correlation with rest passing and fatigue passing scores (rho = -0.42, -0.55; p &lt;0.05, p &lt;0.01, respectively). The mesomorphic structure had a negative correlation with fatigue passing score (rho = -0.45; p &lt;0.05). A moderate positive correlation was found with the fatigue passing score of the ectomorpic structure (rho = 0.58, p &lt;0.01). Significant differences were found between the passing scores of basketball players' rest and fatigue (p&lt;0.01). As a result, it was determined that both rest and fatigue passing scores decreased with the increased of the endomorphic structure representing the fatness feature and also fatigue passing scores decreased with the increased of the mesomorphic structure. But, fatigue passing score increased with the increased of the ectomorphic structures of basketball players. In addition, the results of the study showed that as the fatigue levels of pre-pubescent basketball players increased, the passing skill levels decreased.

The effect of different training modalities on physical fitness in women over 50 years of age

It is not yet clear which physical exercise protocols have greater potential to mitigate the functional decline in physical fitness (coordination, flexibility, strength, agility and cardiorespiratory capacity). Thus, the objective of this study was to compare different training modalities on physical fitness in women over 50 years of age and understand which training protocol is more effective for promoting significant improvements in physical fitness. The initial sample consisted of 79 subjects, of which 17 dropped out, resulting in a total of 62 subjects who completed the study and are included in the analysis (n = 62). The average age of the study population was 60.1±5.4 years, divided into five groups: aerobic training, concurrent training, multimodal training, functional training and control group. Physical fitness was analyzed through AAHPERD (American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance) tests (0 and eighth weeks). The ANOVA analyses (aleatory effect) show a main effect of time for coordination (p<0.001), strength (p = 0.004), agility (p<0.001) and cardiorespiratory capacity (p<0.001), and statistically significant interactions for coordination (p = 0.003) and cardiorespiratory capacity (p = 0.033). When comparing the average relative differences between the group (Δ%), significant improvement was observed in coordination and agility (p<0.001) in the multimodal and functional training groups. For cardiorespiratory fitness, there was a significant improvement in the aerobic, concurrent and multimodal training groups (p<0.001) and strength increased in the functional training group (p = 0.04). Functional training was demonstrated to be more effective at promoting significant improvements in physical fitness than the other investigated exercise protocols.

The Evaluation of Strength Training and Body Plyometric Effects on the Male Basketball Players

This research evaluated the effects of resistance training with upper body plyometric effects on the performance of male basketball players. Sixteen males in the physical education and sport science faculty of Ataturk University were randomly determined into two groups. The experimental group performed a combined strength and plyometric training twice a week for six weeks. Also, experimental group subjected basketball training (2 h), once a week that was separated from strength with plyometric sessions. The control group only participated in basketball skills training, two hours a week. Pre-test and post-test on upper body strength, grip strength, vertical jump and American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) battery of tests were collected for basketball players. Results showed a significant main interaction of intervention and test time on passing skill at F (1, 7) = 0.50, p < 0.05, partial η2 = 0.07. In conclusion, a six-weeks strength and upper body plyometric has significantly lower passing score in compare to the control. Key words: Sport-specific training, resistance training, plyometric training, physical education.

Comparison of physical fitness in elderly submitted to different physical exercise interventions

The objective was to investigate the influence of two types of physical exercise intervention on elderly individuals’ physical fitness. The study included 17 older adults with a mean age of 65.8 years (± 2.88), divided into two groups: Programa de Exercícios Físicos em Unidades de Saúde (PEFUS – Physical Exercise Program in Health Units, n = 8) and Adapted Volleyball (n = 9). PEFUS classes were held three times a week and lasted 90 minutes, including strength, aerobic endurance, agility, coordination and balance exercises. Adapted Volleyball classes were performed two times per week and lasted 120 minutes, divided into skill volleyball exercises and game. For the evaluation of physical skills (strength, agility, coordination and flexibility), the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) set of tests was performed. All participants were assessed at the baseline and after three months of interventions. Statistical analysis was performed using factorial ANOVA through SPSS, version 17.0, and a significance level p &lt;0.05. Motor coordination showed significant improvements after three months of interventions, decreasing from 11.7 ± 2.3 to 10.1 ± 1.6 seconds for Adapted Volleyball and from 15.8 ± 3.3 to 12.0 ± 3.5 seconds for PEFUS (p &lt;0.05). Regarding strength endurance, there was a group-moment interaction (p &lt;0.05) and the PEFUS group showed an increase in this variable after intervention. The interventions are beneficial to the physical fitness of elderly individuals, because they increase or maintain such fitness after these interventions.

Bateria de testes da AAHPERD: adaptação para idosos institucionalizados

The American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) test battery assesses the functional fitness of older adults in five motor fitness tests. The objective of this study was to adapt and test the AAHPERD in institutionalized older adults and to define normative values of functional fitness for this population. A pilot test was conducted on older adults living in nursing homes, which confirmed the need to adapt the flexibility and aerobic endurance tests. The first test was redesigned so that the elderly person did not have to sit on the floor. The second test was changed from a half-mile to a 6-minute walk. The tests were adapted and tested in a sample of 92 older adults from six long-term care homes. The successful application of the AAHPERD adapted for older adults living in nursing homes permitted the establishment of normative values for the five motor tests. The adapted version of the AAHPERD is an easily applied, low-cost tool of low risk since it was adapted to the physical and functional conditions of institutionalized older adults. This physical test battery will contribute to the evaluation of older adults and exercise prescription.

Why We (AAHPERD Leaders) Do What We Do

At a recent American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) Leadership Development Conference, presidents-elect representing state, district, and national AAHPERD associations were asked to describe in one sentence why they do what they do. The 67 responses were entered into wordle.net that generated the 20-item word cloud shown in Figure 1. From that word cloud, the nine most frequently cited words are the basis for this reflection on why we do what we do.

Training Others to Lead Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs

For the past several years, the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) has highlighted a tremendous amount of information related to comprehensive school p...

American Association for Health Education (AAHE) 2011 Membership Survey

The American Association for Health Education (AAHE), a national health education organization with the mission of advancing the profession of health education, launched the 2011 AAHE membership survey between October 13, 2011 and November 1, 2011, under the leadership of the AAHE Board of Directors and AAHE Staff. The primary objective of the survey was to provide insight into the perspectives of AAHE members on several important issues facing the organization including: AAHE exiting its parent organization, the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) and the proposed “modified” merger with the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE), another national health education organization. A total of 240 AAHE members completed the survey. A majority of respondents were university faculty members in health education, and results provide keen insight into AAHE members' perspectives on the AAHE-SOPHE modified merger.

Effects of a Six-Week Compound Training (CT) on the Performance of Fundamental Skills in Basketball

Compound training (CT) is the administration of sport-specific training and resistance training in separate training days. This study investigated the effects of a combined six-week resistance training and upper body plyometric program performed along with sport specific training in the performance of fundamental skills in basketball. Fourteen (N= 14) female physical education students (age: 17.6 ± 0.63 years; height: 156.8 ± 5.1 cm) were divided randomly into two groups: the experimental group (EG; n=7) performed a combined six-week strength and plyometric training twice a week for six weeks and two hours of skills training a week and the control group (CG; n=7) performed two hours of skills training a week. Pre-test and post test weight, height, grip strength, vertical jump and upper body strength (1Repetition Maximum) measures were gathered. The American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) basketball skills test was administered to the subjects. A two-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed a nonsignificant interaction effect of intervention and test time in all the variables of the study. A six-week compound training posted no significant difference on the physical and performance variables of female physical education students in a beginners’ class in basketball compared to sport-specific training. Key words: compound training, resistance training, plyometrics, basketball skills, sport performance

Índice de aptidão funcional geral e sintomas depressivos em idosos. DOI:10.5007/1980-0037.2012v14n2p125

Depression is considered the most common mental health disorder in older adults. Studies have shown that physical activity can reduce depressive symptoms in this population with immediate clinical effects. The objective of this study was to analyze the association between symptoms of depression and General Functional Fitness Index (GFFI) in elderly physical exercise practitioners. The Geriatric Depression Scale of Yesavage (GDS-15) was used to evaluate the presence of depressive symptoms, and the AAHPERD (American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance) fitness test battery for assessment of GFFI. We used descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation with 95% confidence intervals. The population consisted of 146 elderly participants of the Floripa Ativa Program - Phase B, with the sample consisting of 77 older adults with a mean age of 67.9 (SD 5.7) years. Among them, 13 exhibited symptoms of depression and 33 were fit, with the GFFI within normal range. We found a negative (r = -0.307) and significant (p = 0.007) correlation between GDS and GFFI. This inversely proportional relationship demonstrates that subjects with a better GFFI had a lower incidence of depressive symptoms. As the GFFI value is obtained through physical tests, it can be suggested that physical exercise supported the reduction of depressive symptoms in the study group.

Validação do teste de flexibilidade da AAHPERD para idosos brasileiros. 10.5007/1980-0037.2011v13n6p455

Flexibility is an indispensable component of the ability to carry out activities of daily living. The flexibility test proposed by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) is easy to administer and requires little equipment. Thus, the present study sought to ascertain the validity of the flexibility component of the AAHPERD Functional Fitness Assessment in Brazilian older adults. The study sample comprised 330 subjects (278 women and 52 men), with a mean age of 69.45+6.19 years, who took part in a physical activity program for older adults. The Leighton Flexometer was chosen as a comparator instrument. The Pearson correlation coefficient (r), simple linear regression, and Bland-Altman plots were used for statistical analysis. The correlation between AAHPERD Functional Fitness Assessment and Leighton flexometer findings was r = 0.93 and r = 0.86 (p &lt;0.01) for males and females respectively. The AAHPERD Functional Fitness Assessment explained 74.3% of variance in Leighton flexometer findings in female participants and 86.6% in male participants. We conclude that the flexibility component of the AAHPERD Functional Fitness Assessment provides adequate estimation of lumbar and hip flexibility in Brazilian older adults.

Relação entre escores de desempenho motor e aptidão física em crianças com idades entre 07 e 08 anos. DOI: 10.5007/1980-0037.2011v13n2p94

There are many tests for the evaluation of motor performance or physical fitness that take into account different criteria such as movement forms and patterns, time, distance, and repetitions of each task for the analysis of performance. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between motor performance and physical fitness scores in children. Fifty children of both genders aged 7 to 8 years (25 boys and 25 girls) participated in this study. The Test of Gross Motor Development – Second Edition (TGMD-2) was used for the evaluation of motor performance. Physical fitness was assessed by three specific tests proposed by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD). The results showed statistical significance and weak correlations among some skills such as run, horizontal jump, hop, leap, underhand roll, and medicine ball throw. The equivalent use of both tests may not be adequate since each test has its own peculiarities in terms of assessment criteria.

Health Education circa 2035—A Commentary

Most of us are intrigued by the prospect of the future and at some point in our lives we all think about how interesting it would be if we could see into the future. In the 1960s, Rod Serling gave us the Twilight Zone, a show that from time-to-time revealed to us what life might be like in the future. In the 1960 movie, The Time Machine (not its forgettable 2002 remake) actor Rod Taylor, as H. George Wells, traveled far into the future to find that the world as he knew it largely had been destroyed and the human race that survived had divided into two hostile species. In 2010, I was asked to represent the American Association for Health (AAHE) at the 125th Annual Meeting of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) in Indianapolis, when the Alliance's various constituents assembled to reflect on its 125 years, with a focus on its most recent quarter of a century. In some ways it was ironic that I was asked to be AAHE's soothsayer for that occasion. You see, a little more than 30 years ago, while in graduate school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I purchased my own hand-held Texas Instruments Statistical Calculator and an office mate bought one of the first microcomputers, a Radio Shack device whose storage system was magnetic cassette tape. At that point I predicted that technology had advanced as far as I was likely to see in my lifetime. Therefore, if my insights are as good now as they were then, all of you might as well stop reading. On the 100th anniversary of AAHPERD in 1985, the late Peter Cortese, a renowned educator and President of AAHE, was asked to speculate about our future as I was asked to do. Cortese was concerned about the back to basics movement that started rising in 1980s education rubric and that developed into a dogma that eventually became iconic as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. In the zeal to attain a targeted test score and achieve a sought after benchmark of school performance, the utility and simplicity of Cortese's worry of there being nothing more basic than health was lost on schools. Today, we are fighting for the return of formal physical education requirements amidst a much-publicized epidemic of childhood obesity and a generation of sedentary youth. Cortese warned us that it was penny-wise and pound-foolish to decrease funding for community programs. Today, Lastly, Cortese addressed himself to the evolution of the education profession itself. Voluntary certification of educators was to occur less than five years after he addressed the 1985 assembly. However, more than 20 years later, the certification scepter has not made much headway with employers and educators and still languishes somewhere low within the hierarchy of professionals. So, what will life be like in 2035, and what will its implications be for the way in which education is practiced? To say the least, that is a challenging question. In the late 1980s, as our education MPH program was evolving at the University of South Florida College of Public Health, some colleagues and I were asked to survey a random sample of the Who's Who in Health Education to gain insight about the preparation of educators in research and practice for the 1990s and beyond. What we received with perfect acuity was not insight about the future, but rather, profoundly detailed hindsight of the ideal preparation of the educator for the 1970s. The best education minds could not come to terms with change and uncertainty, and being out of their comfort zones. …

Influencia del ejercicio físico en los síntomas depresivos y en la aptitud funcional de ancianos en el sur de Brasil

El objetivo de este estudio fue verificar la influencia del ejercicio físico en los síntomas depresivos y en la aptitud funcional de ancianos participantes en un programa de ejercicio físico, realizado en los centros de salud de Florianópolis, Brasil. El examen se realizó en 118 ancianos (101 mujeres y 17 hombres), sometidos al tratamiento por el tiempo máximo de un año y 4 meses, evaluados en períodos preestablecidos, llegando a un total de 5 evaluaciones. Fueron utilizados Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) y batería de exámenes físicos, propuestos por la American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD). Se observó una tendencia de reducción de los resultados depresivos. Sin embargo, fue detectada una diferencia estadísticamente significativa (p=0,008), solamente para los ancianos que participaron asiduamente en el tratamiento (obtuvieron un mínimo de frecuencia del 75% del total de las aulas). Hubo una tendencia de aumento en el promedio general de la aptitud funcional, presentando diferencias estadísticamente significativas en un análisis (p<0,001). Se evidenciaron relaciones inversas entre la aptitud funcional y los resultados depresivos en las 5 evaluaciones (r=−0,235, p=−0,059; r=−0,206, p=0,099; r=−0,158, p=0,110; r=−0,068, p=0,565), pero solamente en una evaluación fue encontrada una diferencia estadísticamente significativa (r=−0,226, p=0,033). De acuerdo con los resultados obtenidos, se observó una influencia positiva del ejercicio físico en la reducción de los síntomas depresivos y en la mejoría de la aptitud funcional, sugiriendo una relación inversa entre esas variables. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of physical exercise on depressive symptoms and functional fitness in a sample of elderly people enrolled in a physical exercise program run by public sector Health Centers in Florianópolis, Brazil. The sample comprised a total of 118 elderly people (101 women and 17 men), who had been receiving treatment for up to 1 year and 4 months and were assessed at predefined intervals, up to a maximum of five times. Evaluations were carried out using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15); International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and the physical test battery proposed by AAHPERD ( American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance ). A tendency for depression scores to reduce was observed. However, a statistically significant difference ( p =0.008) was only detected among those elderly people who attended 75% or more of the treatment sessions. Analysis demonstrated that the tendency for overall mean functional fitness to increase was statistically significant ( p <0.001). Inverse relationships were detected between functional fitness and depression scores at five assessment (r=−0.235, p=0.059; r=−0.206, p =0.099; r=−0.158, p =0.110; r=−0.068, p =0.565), although only one assessment had statistical significance (r=−0.226, p =0.033). The results demonstrated a positive effect from physical exercise in reducing depressive symptoms and improving functional fitness, suggesting that there is an inverse relationship between these variables.

Teste de resistência de força de membros superiores para idosos: comparação entre halteres com pesos diferentes

The aim of the study was to compare the performance of elderly people in the strength resistance test of superior members (SRTSM) with dumbbells of different weights (1,8 kg and 2 kg for women and 3,6 kg and 4 kg for men). The sample consisted of 407 elderly (349 feminine and 58 masculine), with age of 60 to 88 years, practitioners of physical exercise for at least six months. The used instrument was the SRTSM of the battery of tests American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD). Two executions of the test were carried through with dumbbells of different weights, SRTSM (1,8 kg and 3,6 kg) and “adjusted” SRTSM (2 kg and 4 kg). For the analysis of the data, it was proceeded descriptive analysis, test t of Student for independent samples, paired t test for dependent samples and ANOVA with post-hoc of Tukey, adopting itself the 5% level significance. The results demonstrated that the use of dumbbells with 4 weights of 2 and kg, seem not to affect the performance of the elderly ones, mainly of the masculine sex. For the feminine sex significant difference in the averages of the second comparison carried through for the sort was detected. However, this difference can have been resulting from external factors to the test, since, the greater average obtained was for “the adjusted” SRTSM. Nevertheless, one tries to facilitate even more the evaluation of the functional capacity of the elderly population, being recommended for SRTSM the use of dumbbells with weight of 2 kg for women and 4kg for men that they are of low cost, easy acquisition and access in the Brazilian market.

Physique and Physical Fitness of Rural South African Primary School Netball Players and Non-netball Players: Ellisras Longitudinal Study

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in English; abstract also in Chinese.The aim of this study was to investigate physique and fitness level of primary school netball players and non-net ball players. A total of 426 primary school children (138 netball players and 288 non-netball players) who are part of the Ellisras Longitudinal Study participated in the study. Height, weight, skinfolds measurements (triceps, subscapular, supraspinale and medial calf) girth measurements (arm flexed and tensed and calf girth) and width measurements (femur and humerus) were measured according to the protocol of the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK). The Heath-Carter method of somatotyping was used to determine the somatotype level of all the players. Fitness level of each subjects was obtained through the Eurofit (1988) and the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) (1980). Netball players dominated the mosomorphic ectomorph (25.9%) and Balance ectomorph (19.6%) while the non-netball players dominated the ectomorphic mesomorph (22.9%) and mesomorphic ectomorph (21.2%) category. The netball players performed significantly well in shuttle run (22.2 sd 1.6) and 22.7 sd 2.2) and 50m (9.5s sd 1.2 and 9.9 1.0) sprint as compared to non-netball players. Further research in the somatotype and fitness level of netball players in their different playing position and the Physical Education program of rural South African schools will yield valuable information for physical education teachers in assigning the players to the right position at an early age.本文旨在探討南非鄉鎮地區兒童參與投球活動的體格和體能。樣本來自426名小學生，分為投球組及非投球組，整體而言，投球組的兒童體質及體適能狀況較卓越。

Relationship between Physical Activity, Fitness and Educational Achievement of Rural South African Children

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in English; abstract also in Chinese.The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships of physical activity and physical fitness with educational achievement in rural South African school children aged 7 to 14 years (n= 212). All boys and girls underwent the following physical fitness tests: standing long jump, bent arm hang, sit ups, 10 x 5m shuttle run, 50 meter run, 1,600 meter run, flamingo balance, sit and reach, and plate tapping. All tests were performed in accordance with the European Tests of Physical Fitness (EUROFIT) and American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) protocols. A questionnaire was used to gather physical activity information concerning indoor and outdoor household activities, games and sports performed during the week days and weekend days. Educational achievement was assessed by means of the Educational Achievement Tests in Mathematics and English designed by South African Human Sciences Research Council. In contrast to what has been found in developed countries, the results of the present study did not show strong evidence for the hypothesis that physical activity and physical fitness are positively associated with educational achievement. Explanations for this finding may be that: first, the children in this population are confronted by a number of educational problems that may have confounded the relationship. Second, because all these children have high levels of physical activity it may be difficult to measure its influence on educational achievement, and third, the cross-sectional nature of this study.本文旨在探討南非鄉鎮地區小學生身體活動量與學業的關係，以問卷方式進行調查，訪問了212名學童，並評估他們的體適能狀況，結果未能顯示出兩者呈現關係，這現象可能受到文化及敎育等因素影響所致，結果呈現兩種動作類，顯示對於下肢的偏向是取決於動作的。作者提出看法，認為各個不同孩童的互動、動作和環境的轉換都對下肢偏向起著影響。