Physical activity has beneficial effects on overall academic performance in children. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding how the individual characteristics of physical activity interact with other confounding variables of academic competence. Leisure-time physical activity with potential confounders—such as developmental, behavioral, family, and school factors, predicting overall, mathematical, and reading academic competence—was studied in a random sample of 1520 Slovenian primary school students in grades 4–6 (51.9% female; mean age = 10.4 years; SD = 0.93). A structured self-reported questionnaire was used to gather data on the children’s leisure-time physical activity and social-demographic variables, while academic competence was measured by teachers using the SSRS Academic Competence Evaluation Scale. The findings showed that children engage in physical activity most days a week, with moderate-intensity and unorganized activities. It was predicted that engaging in physical activity would lead to an increase in academic performance by 4.2% in males (p = 0.002) and 3.2% in females (p = 0.024), but after fully adjusting the model for controlling confounding variables, the prediction increased to 81.1% in females and 84.1% in males (p < 0.001). The frequency and intensity of physical activity, the absence of digital games, and attending sports clubs seem to have the most beneficial effects in terms of academic competence in school children, among other relevant confounders mediating in this complex relationship.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, countries took several restrictions to contain the spread of coronavirus. In the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, primary schools in Slovenia were closed for a period long time (from October 19th 2020 until January 18th 2021 when they were partially reopened for 6–9 year olds until February 15th 2021 when they were reopened for all children) and organized sport activities for children and adolescents under the age of 15 was not allowed during this period. The aim of the study was to examine how these restrictions were reflected in the amount of different forms of physical activity (PA) of 6–12-year old children (N = 3,936). Data were collected using an online questionnaire (International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form) comparing different forms of PA before (BEFORE) and during (DURING) remote schooling. The results show that there has been a decline in children's PA DURING, specifically, only 4.3% of children had their physical education ≥ 45 min (or 77.7% ≤ 30 min), as is the usual duration in Slovenia. There was also a remarkable decline in extracurricular sports activities (p < 0.001), which BEFORE had been participated by 72.2% of children, while DURING remote schooling, as many as 83.5% of children did not participate these activities. 69.7% of children participated in organized sports in clubs at least once a week, while DURING remote schooling, as many as 88.1% (p < 0.001) did not participate in such form of activities. Furthermore, the time spent exercising in moderate to vigorous PA also decreased (BEFORE 8.2% vs. DURING 24.9%; p < 0.001). We found that during lockdown there has been an alarming decrease in the frequency and duration of organized PA at school and at sports clubs. These findings are a good starting point for designing (developing) an effective strategy for promoting health-enhancing PA of children in the event of a future lockdown or similar situations. The strategy should focus on the appropriate implementation of PA curriculum and motivate young people to participate regularly in extracurricular organized and non-organized activities.

The purpose of the study was to determine whether students differ in terms of their physical fitness according to their academic achievements in mathematics, language (Slovene) and PE. The sample comprised 467 participants: 250 males and 217 females. In order to assess physical fitness levels, eight different tests from the Eurofit test battery were conducted. The academic performance of children was defined on the basis of three criteria: final grades in mathematics, final grades in Slovene language and final grades in the subject of sports. An independent t-test and a multiple regression analysis were performed to determine the relationship between various physical fitness tests and academic achievement. The most important finding of our study is that physical fitness is related to academic achievement in preadolescent children. Children with better academic achievements performed better in most physical fitness tests than peers who had poorer academic performance. Key words: childhood; motor abilities; school grades. --- Svrha studije bila je utvrditi razlikuju li se djeca u pogledu tjelesnoga fitnesa u skladu s njihovim akademskim uspjehom iz matematike, jezika (slovenski jezik) i tjelesne i zdravstvene kulture. Uzorak je obuhvaćao 467 sudionika: 250 dječaka i 217 djevojčica. Kako bi se procijenila razina tjelesnoga fitnesa, provedeno je osam različitih testova iz testne baterije Eurofit. Akademski uspjeh djece definiran je na temelju tri kriterija: završne ocjene iz Matematike, završne ocjene iz Slovenskog jezika i završne ocjena iz Tjelesne i zdravstvene kulture. Izvedeni su neovisni t-test i višestruka regresijska analiza kako bi se utvrdio odnos između različitih testova tjelesnoga fitnesa i akademskoga uspjeha. Najvažniji nalaz našega istraživanja jest da je tjelesni fitnes povezan s akademskim uspjehom kod djece u predadolescentnoj dobi. Djeca s boljim akademskim uspjehom pokazala su bolje rezultate na većini testova tjelesnoga fitnesa u usporedbi s vršnjacima koji su imali slabiji akademski uspjeh.Ključne riječi: djetinjstvo; tjelesne sposobnosti; školske ocjene.

The Physical Education Teaching in Terms of the Elementary Teachers' Competencies. The main aim of this study was to find out how elementary teachers evaluate their competence for teaching Physical Education (PE) regarding seniority and physical activity involvement. The study was conducted on a non-randomized sample of 220 elementary teachers teaching PE. The results show that the highest assessed competences include the ability to plan, organize, implement and evaluate sports lessons. Teachers rated as lowest those competencies related to integrating and working with children with special needs in PE lessons.

The aim of the study was to investigate how physical education classes were conducted during remote schooling. The results confirm the poorer quality and duration of physical education classes during remote schooling. Our findings also coincide with the findings of other studies, which show that during the COVID-19 pandemic, children’s physical/sports activity, as well as their motor functions, decreased dramatically. This study provides clear answers to all responsible stakeholders that remote schooling is not an appropriate measure from the point of view of ensuring the conditions for healthy development of children.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between physical characteristics and performance in young alpine skiers in the Super-G discipline. Methods: A sample of 42 U16 alpine skiing competitors (23 boys and 19 girls) aged 14-15 years participated in the study. The physical characteristics were measured using the Inbody 720 Body Composition Analysis and 3D Body Scan devices. Performance data was obtained from official records of the Ski Association of Slovenia for the 2018/19 U16 competitive season. Variables such as body height, body weight, thigh circumference, waist circumference, chest circumference, shoulder circumference, muscle mass percentage, fat mass percentage, body mass index, and body fat percentage were analyzed. Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple regression analysis were used to assess the relationship between the physical characteristics and Super-G performance. Results: Significant correlations were found between body weight, thigh circumference, chest circumference, muscle mass percentage, and Super-G performance in boys. For girls, waist circumference, chest circumference, and body fat percentage were significantly correlated with performance. The multiple regression model explained 73% of the variance in the boys' performance and 59% in the girls', although the model itself was not statistically significant for predicting performance. Conclusion: Physical characteristics, especially muscle mass percentage and body circumferences, are significantly associated with Super-G performance in young alpine skiers. These findings underscore the importance of tailored training programs that consider individual physical characteristics to optimize competitive success in alpine skiing.