Motor performance of schoolchildren aged between 11 and 14 years of Florianópolis-SC

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the motor performance of schoolchildren aged between 11 and 14 years of Florianópolis-SC. Methods: Forty students of both sexes were evaluated by the MABC-2. Results: Most students showed typical motor development and the boys performed better in the total skills than girls. The motor performance in the skill categories of balance and throwing and receiving of the girls was slightly higher than the one of boys. Already the boys performed better on tasks of manual dexterity, with no statistically significant difference. Conclusion: It is important that the professionals responsible for schoolchildren conduct motor evaluations as strategies to improve the content of physical education classes and to help these students in case of delay in their development. It is suggested that future studies contemplate the assessment of psychosocial variables that, along with motor development may be responsible for the difficulties of movement.