DEVELOPMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MOTOR ABILITIES OF SECONDARY SCHOOL GIRLS

This study was conducted on a sample of 710 secondary school girls from I to the IV grade, divided into four sub-samples according to the chronological age, meaning 180 schoolgirls of the first grade, 177 of the second grade, 177 of the third grade and 176 of the fourth grade. The aim of the study was to determine differences in the development trend of motor abilities for students from 14 to 18 years of age. Testing of motor abilities was done during regular physical education classes with 11 tests of motor skills that assessed speed, strength, flexibility, balance, coordination. Characteristics of variables and sample size allowed application of multivariate statistical methods for data processing, factor and canonical discriminant analysis. The results showed uneven growth of some abilities in this age period, and that is until 16 years of age in a test of balance (MSUK) and a test of coordination (MS3M). Students achieved the best results at the age of 15 for all other tests of motor abilities, and after that they halt or slightly decline. The largest decline of the results is in the balance test (MSUK) and static strength test (MVIS), a somewhat lesser decline was in the flexibility test (MDPK), and that is probably because of decreased activity of the female population in this age group (trend recorded in several studies), and it is known that the flexibility is developed and maintained exclusively by exercise. This is supported by Farfelj’s findings (1972) that proved that in active population (competitive athletes) there is no such decline in these abilities. An explanation of these results may be in students’ generally reduced level of physical activity, inadequate effects of physical education classes and insufficient engagement of society in general to solve these problems.