are referred to as having Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD; American Psychiatric Association, 2013 ). Children with DCD struggle with activities of daily living, scholastic achievement, and active play due to impairments in fine and/or gross motor control ( Engel-Yeger, 2015 ). Although DCD
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Perceptions of Ability Mediate the Effect of Motor Coordination on Aerobic and Musculoskeletal Exercise Performance in Young Children at Risk for Developmental Coordination Disorder
Tuyen Le, Jeffrey D. Graham, Sara King-Dowling, and John Cairney
Understanding Adolescents’ Positive and Negative Developmental Experiences in Sport
Jessica Fraser-Thomas and Jean Côté
The purpose of this study was to gain understanding of adolescents’ positive and negative developmental experiences in sport. Twenty-two purposefully sampled adolescent competitive swimmers participated in a semistructured qualitative interview. Content analysis led to the organization of meaning units into themes and categories (Patton, 2002). Athletes suggested their sport involvement facilitated many positive developmental experiences (i.e., related to challenge, meaningful adult and peer relationships, a sense of community, and other life experiences) and some negative developmental experiences (i.e., related to poor coach relationships, negative peer influences, parent pressure, and the challenging psychological environment of competitive sport). Findings underline the important roles of sport programmers, clubs, coaches, and parents in facilitating youths’ positive developmental experiences in sport, while highlighting numerous important directions for future research. Implications for coach training and practice are outlined.
The Christian-Athlete: An Interactionist-Developmental Analysis
Christopher L. Stevenson
This investigation examined the ways in which, and the rationalizations with which, certain elite athletes juxtaposed the two role-identities of “Christian” and “athlete.” The data were obtained through in-depth interviews with current and former college and professional athletes associated with the Athletes-in-Action (AIA) organization in Western Canada (N=31: 23 males, 8 females). Initial analysis indicated considerable variability in the types of behavior that the athletes, as Christians, saw as acceptable in their sport environments, and yet the majority of these Christian-athletes did not appear to perceive any values-conflict between their Christian faith and their sporting practices. A more detailed examination using both a developmental and an interactionist perspective identified three more or less distinct types of accommodation to the normative expectations associated with the two role-identities (the segregated, selective, and committed types), each of which was associated with different consequences for the athletes’ own behaviors in sport, the values and attitudes they expressed, and the kinds of behaviors they perceived to be acceptable for Christian-athletes.
Ophthalmic Factors in Developmental Coordination Disorder
Mark A. Mon-Williams, Eve Pascal, and John P. Wann
Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) occurs in a small number of children who present with impaired body/eye coordination. No study of ophthalmic function in DCD exists despite vision’s primary role in perception. Ocular performance was therefore assessed with a battery of tests. Five hundred children aged between 5 and 7 years were involved in the study. Diagnosis of DCD was confirmed for 29 children by the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (ABC); 29 control children were randomly selected. Comprehensive examination with a battery of ophthalmic tests did not reveal any significant difference in visual status between the two groups. Strabismus was found in 5 children from both groups. All 5 children with strabismus from the DCD group showed a similar movement profile with the Motor Competence Checklist. While a causal relationship cannot be discounted, the presence of strabismus appears more likely to be a “hard” neurological sign of central damage common to this group. The evidence seems to indicate that a simple ophthalmic difficulty does not explain problems with movement control.
Developmental Progression and Sex Differences in Agility During Continuous Two-Footed Jumping Among Children Aged 4–16 Years
Ayane Muro, Nozomi Takatoku, Chiaki Ohtaka, Motoko Fujiwara, and Hiroki Nakata
typically classified as object control (e.g., throwing, catching, and dribbling) and locomotor skills (e.g., running, jumping, and hopping; Logan et al., 2012 ). FMS in children are also investigated by exploring the developmental progression and sex differences in order to understand the mechanisms of
Toward a Developmental Theory of Children's Motivation in Sport
Joan L. Duda
The purpose of this paper is to review Nicholls' developmentally based theory of achievement motivation and apply this perspective to children's sport. Five areas of research are reviewed that support the relevance of Nicholls' theory to the sport domain. Based on Nicholls' framework, several considerations are presented for future research on the development of achievement motivation in sport.
Assessing Hopping Developmental Level in Childhood Using Wearable Inertial Sensor Devices
Ilaria Masci, Giuseppe Vannozzi, Nancy Getchell, and Aurelio Cappozzo
Assessing movement skills is a fundamental issue in motor development. Current process-oriented assessments, such as developmental sequences, are based on subjective judgments; if paired with quantitative assessments, a better understanding of movement performance and developmental change could be obtained. Our purpose was to examine the use of inertial sensors to evaluate developmental differences in hopping over distance. Forty children executed the task wearing the inertial sensor and relevant time durations and 3D accelerations were obtained. Subjects were also categorized in different developmental levels according to the hopping developmental sequence. Results indicated that some time and kinematic parameters changed with some developmental levels, possibly as a function of anthropometry and previous motor experience. We concluded that, since inertial sensors were suitable in describing hopping performance and sensitive to developmental changes, this technology is promising as an in-field and user-independent motor development assessment tool.
Table Tennis, as a Method of Sensorimotor Training, Induces Haptic and Motor Gains in Children With a Probable Developmental Coordination Disorder
Yu-Ting Tseng, Chia-Liang Tsai, Tzu Hsuan Wu, Yi-Wen Chen, and Yi-Hsuan Lin
, tying shoelaces, holding a cup, and catching a ball) depends on haptic functions ( Bushnell & Boudreau, 2013 ; Lederman & Klatzky, 2009 ; Müürsepp et al., 2012 ). Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects 5%–6% of school-aged children ( American
Social Psychological and Developmental Perspectives on Early Sport Specialization
Thelma S. Horn
One of the primary dilemmas surrounding the topic of early sport specialization is whether the practice develops talent or creates long-term psychological problems. The purpose of this paper is to discuss this issue using psychosocial and developmental frameworks. This review begins with an overview of several developmentallybased constructs (e.g., biological maturation, perceived competence, body image, self-identity, motivational orientation) that are relevant to the sport domain. These developmental progressions are then used to address some potential implications for children who begin intensive training and competition at an early age. Next, some socioenvironmental factors are explored, with specific links made to the early sport specialization process. Finally, the paper ends with four recommendations for future research on the topic.
Differences in Spontaneous Leg Movement Patterns Between Infants With Typical Development and Infants at Risk for Developmental Delay: Cross-sectional Observation Prior to Sitting Onset
Weiyang Deng, Douglas L. Vanderbilt, and Beth A. Smith
developmental delay (AR), some of whom later exhibit developmental delay. A developmental delay exists if the infant’s current level of functioning in developmental areas, such as cognitive and physical, etc., is significantly different ( Ghassabian et al., 2016 ) from the expected level of development for the
