Excess adipose tissue may impact the motor performance of youth. Therefore, the current study examined: (1) if adiposity influenced performance in the jump and reach and 30-yard dash; and (2) if maturation predicted motor performance. Participants (N = 267) included girls aged 8 to 16 years. Latent growth curves were used to assess changes in…

This study examines the associations of physical activity and gross motor skills in parent-child dyads. Parent-child dyads (N = 61, 84% mothers, children aged 8-11 years) participated in this study. Anthropometrics were self-reported through Qualtrics. Physical activity was assessed using accelerometers. Motor skills were measured through four…

Longitudinal measurement enables the examination of behavioral or psychological change. One approach to examining longitudinal measurements is the use of latent growth curve modeling (LGCM). This approach affords the assessment of inter- and intraindividual change. Yet, this approach likely is underused in exercise science. The purpose of the…

Introduction: Youths with visual impairments (i.e., those who are blind or have low vision) often demonstrate reduced involvement in sports and related negative effects. This study looked at data from sports education camps to see whether involvement in this short-term intervention positively affected the performance of component sports skills…

Research tracking sport participation from youth to adulthood is relatively rare, as is research that tracks youth sport participation with regard to adult physical activity (PA) levels, especially in the United States. Aims of this study were: 1) To investigate the degree to which sport participation tracked across youth, adolescence, and early…

The Michigan State University Motor Performance Study (MPS) was initiated in 1967 and lasted 32 years. Three central components existed: 1) Educational component, in which students experienced applied work with youth; 2) Instructional component, whereby enrolled youth received sport-specific skill instruction; and 3) Research component. The…

Introduction: This study explored the relationship between first-time or repeat participation at a sports education camp and demographic variables of gender, age, race or ethnicity, measures of self-perception, body mass index (BMI), and physical activity in participants' communities. Methods: The study was a secondary data analysis of interview…

Autism spectrum disorder is the fastest growing developmental disability in the United States. As such, there is an unprecedented need for research examining factors contributing to the health disparities in this population. This research suggests a relationship between the levels of physical activity and health outcomes. In fact, excessive…

Despite evidence suggesting one of the earliest indicators of an eventual autism spectrum disorder diagnoses is an early motor delay, there remain very few interventions targeting motor behavior as the primary outcome for young children with autism spectrum disorder. The aim of this pilot study was to measure the efficacy of an intensive motor…