Exercise and youth: Physical activity,sport involvement, and development

Abstract

This article summarizes Plenary Session I, “Exercise and Youth,” at the 6th Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science (Cologne, 24–28 July 2001). The session provided a broad overview of current knowledge and progress in the field. Using the results of cross-sectional studies, Dietrich Kurz of Germany demonstrated associations between sport activity and personal attributes of psychosocial and physical health. Using the results of a longitudinal study, Wolf-Dietrich Brettschneider found that German sport clubs in and of themselves do not have significant effects on the development of psychosocial health in young people. In a Dutch longitudinal study, Willem van Mechelen found moderate tracking of biological cardiovascular risk factors and of physical fitness from adolescence into adulthood, as well as relationships between adolescent physical activity and both adult bone health and maximal aerobic power. Reporting on findings from U.S.-American school intervention program, Tom McKenzie demonstrated the importance of social contexts, physical opportunities for sport, mental motivation for healthy lifestyles, trainer and teacher development with continuous education, and innovative, cooperative arrangements between schools and community-based agencies.

Keywords:

• sport
• adolescents
• physical activity
• physical fitness
• psychosocial health
• tracking
• adult fitness
• adult health
• school intervention programs