The relationship between motor competence and physical fitness is weaker in the 15–16 yr. adolescent age group than in younger age groups (4–5 yr. and 11–12 yr.)

Developing motor competence and physical fitness can affect the maintenance of a sufficient level of physical activity in children and adolescents. This study assesses the relationship between motor competence and physical fitness from childhood through early adolescence. A cross-sectional sample of 194 participants from 4 to 16 years old were divided into three groups; 4–6 yr. (n = 42, M age = 5.2, SD 0.6), 11–12 yr. (n = 58, M age = 12.4, SD = 0.3), and 15–16 yr. (n = 94, M age = 15.9, SD = 0.4). To assess motor competence, each child completed the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC). To measure physical fitness, three tasks (strength, speed, and endurance) were selected from the Test of Physical Fitness (TPF). To analyze the significance of the difference between the correlation coefficient in the three age groups (samples) (4–6, 11–12, and 15–16 yr.), Fischer r-to-z transformation was used. The correlation (Pearson's) between motor competence and physical fitness in the age groups was statistically higher for the youngest age groups (4–6 and 11–12 yr.) and the adolescent group (age 15–16). The differences between the two youngest age groups were not statistically significant. The results demonstrate that the correlation between motor competence and physical fitness decreases with age.