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Many studies indicate that a physical fitness characteristic is an important marker for healthy body and healthy mind. The major purpose of this study is to explore the levels of physical fitness of the students between 11 and 13 years of age. The participants of this study are 251 volunteer students including 95 boys and 156 girls between the ages 11 and 13 who participated at physical education lessons two times a week. The students were assessed for six anthropometric characteristics and five physical tests. Mean, standard deviation, and multiple comparisons were used for statistical analyses to find out differences between sexes with ANOVA, and Bonferoni Tests for differences between ages. Anthropometric measurements were reported as body mass index, height, weight, arm span, waist and hip and physical fitness traits such as agility, balance and strength. The findings suggest some differences between female and male students and between ages; male participants obtained higher results as means compared to female participants.

The current paper summarizes the health status correlated with physical fitness of students from the University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and technology "George Emil Palade" from Targu Mures. A total of 301 university students aged between 18-24 years old voluntarily participated in the research. Health status and physical fitness level were investigated based on (1) anthropometric measurements (height, waist girth and hip girth); (2) bioelectrical impedance (body mass index, weight and body fat percentage); (3) fitness level (30m running speed, standing long jump, sit up, trunk extension). The data were processed with SPSS 22.0 for windows. Descriptive statistics, Independent Samples T Test and bivariate correlations were performed. Findings demonstrate normal limits in terms of BDI for 71.79% and 61.79% normal limits for body fat percentage according to age. Additionally, it was found associations between health indicators and physical fitness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This paper examines the convergence of the opinions of European higher education institution (HEI) experts on possible implementation of dual career policies and provision areas at university level. Methods: An online 32-item questionnaire encompassing 26 dual career aspects collected the opinion of European HEI experts as the last phase of a Delphi method preceded by i) focus groups with student-athletes who aimed to identify needs for dual careers and ii) a workshop with 21 dual career experts to generate the statements to be included in the survey. Seventy-one HEI experts from 12 EU member states participated in the survey, rating each dual career aspect identified in previous phases. Results: The relative position of each aspect has been plotted based on relevance (x-axis) and feasibility (y-axis). The Quadrant IV of the resulting scatterplots identified the following nine aspects rated as highly relevant and highly feasible for implementation: tutorship/mentorship, psychological support, programmes based on integration of academic departments and sports services, and adaptable programmes to the needs of each student-athletes (assistance/tutorship area), individual study plans and distance learning (curricula requirements area), publicity for student-athletes and initiatives for increasing the awareness of student-athletes and knowledge of dual career issues (social support area), and access to educational facilities (logistic support area). Discussion and conclusions: The HEI experts' views represent a coherent and useful starting point to develop a deep understanding of the considered 26 aspects founded on a phenomenological lifeworld-led approach and emphasizes the need for a minimum standard for dual career policies and provisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to identify the students' motivation for participating to sports competitions in school. For this approach, we have identified a stratified random sample made up of 515 boys and 338 girls. The questionnaire we have used has included three categories of reasons for the participation to sports actions: social motives, sports motives and health-promotion motives, intrinsic and extrinsic. The data obtained have emphasized positive results for both genders, on the three motivation directions: "fun and joy"; "the wish of being healthy"; "the wish of being part of a team". Motivations such as "the wish of being the best, of being a champion"; "the wish of being popular"; "the wish to compete" were frequent among boys, while girls have mostly social and recreational motives: making new friends, maintaining a health body, fitness. Hence, the combination of the pleasure to participate to the competition and the wish to make new friends are the ways through which we can also increase the number of girls who participate to school competitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Motivation is one of the most important variables in sports practice and a key-element that facilitates both performance and a positive experience. Aims. The main aim of this study is to determine the dominant type of motivation in fencing athletes (sabre fencing), as well as the type of motivation related with the subjects' gender and age. Methods. To assess the seven subscales of motivation, we used the Sport Motivation Scale Questionnaire (SMS-28). The study took place in Iasi, at the beginning of September 2014, during the National Junior Fencing Championships. The research sample comprised 69 fencers aged between 12 and 20 years. Depending on age and gender, the subjects were divided into two groups: 12-15 and 16-20 years. Results. Male athletes obtained lower scores in all three types of intrinsic motivation and higher scores in intrinsic motivation and amotivation, compared to female athletes. The second group, 16-20 years, obtained higher scores for intrinsic motivation (all three types), extrinsic motivation (introjected regulation subscale), and amotivation, compared to the first group. Conclusions. We found that female fencers are more intrinsically motivated compared to male fencers, and cadets and juniors are more intrinsically motivated than the 12-15 years-old group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moral education is determined by the social phenomenon, which confers its content and represents a component of general education; it contributes to the formation and development of moral conscience and behaviour, to shaping the moral profile of the personality, and to the elaboration of social-moral behaviour. In many European countries, there are educational policies that promote the social and moral development of young people. According to the provisions of the National Curriculum currently into effect in our country, all the areas in the curriculum have the obligation of contributing to the social and moral development of young people. In this sense, researchers in the field pinpoint that physical education and sport - mostly physical education and sport teachers - have an important role in reaching this objective. Nonetheless, there is only scanty conclusive evidence to support this theory. In addition, scientists consider the social and moral field differently. Currently, there is too little information on the way in which physical education and sport teachers become aware of their responsibility in the social and moral development of the students through the discipline they teach. There is also insufficient information of the way they understand and apply the objectives of moral education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Body posture develops gradually, after repeated experiences, as a result of maintaining the same positions and executing the movements in the same way, in similar situations. Aims. The study aims to highlight the views of former performance athletes in middle-distance and long-distance races on the relation between training and body posture. Methods. The questionnaire was applied to 32 former middle-distance and long-distance runners aged between 19 and 23, who had given up on sports activity 1-3 years before. We applied a 15-item questionnaire with multiple pre-coded answers. Applying the mirror test required the subjects to objectively consider their own posture. Results. In 167 cases, a correct posture was indicated, and only in 25 cases, the posture was reported as inadequate for frontal plane examination. Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) is 0.72, at a significance threshold of 0.01, which indicates a strong correlation between the ideal body posture and the body posture examined in frontal plane. Concerning lateral examination, the subjects identified 91 nominations for correct positions at the level of various segments and 69 situations that did not correspond to the correct posture. The relation between the ideal body posture and the body posture examined in sagittal plane is strong: r=0.79 and p=0.01 significance threshold. Conclusions. The results obtained allow us to continue our research and to use athletics means as a factor that favors maintaining normal posture and achieving sports performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Body balance is an important factor for a good motricity in static and dynamic activities. Aims. The aim of the study was to analyze one-leg balance on the preferred leg in athletes with eyes open and closed. Methods. The study was carried out on 20 subjects aged between 10-13 years old. Ten of them practiced gymnastics and the other 10, fencing. With the digital program GPS 5.0, the computer registered and assessed the following variables of balance: mediolateral displacement of the center of mass, anterior posterior displacement of the center of mass, frequency of oscillations in frontal and sagittal plane. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 20.0 software for Windows and were expressed as mean and standard deviation, and the parametric t test was used for the differences of the means. The independent samples t test was used to find out whether there were any balance differences in the dominant leg between gymnasts and fencers. Results. The results revealed a value of p<0.05 for mediolateral displacement and the frequency of oscillations in frontal plane. In addition, the paired t test was used to compare the scores obtained in two different conditions (with eyes open and closed) in each group. In the group of gymnasts no significant differences were obtained for the variables of balance and the fencers' group showed statistical differences for two variables: mediolateral displacement of the center of mass and frequency of oscillations in frontal plane. Conclusions. The differences found in mediolateral displacement may be related to lower limb and hip strength depending on the sport practiced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]