Effects of different agility training programs among first-grade elementary school students

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Pediatric Exercise Science
• Motor Learning

Background:

• Agility is crucial for physical development in children.
• Contextual interference in training influences motor skill acquisition.
• Optimizing agility training programs for primary school students is essential for physical education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of low, moderate, and high contextual interference agility training programs.
• To provide evidence-based recommendations for physical education teachers designing agility programs for young children.

Main Methods:

• 57 first-grade students were randomized into three groups: low, moderate, and high contextual interference.
• Participants underwent a 4-week agility training intervention.
• Agility performance was assessed before and after the intervention period.

Main Results:

• Significant agility improvements were observed in the low (p < 0.01) and moderate (p < 0.05) contextual interference groups.
• The low contextual interference group demonstrated superior improvements compared to the moderate group.
• No significant agility improvements were found in the high contextual interference group (p > 0.05).

Conclusions:

• Low contextual interference agility training is more effective for improving agility in first-grade primary school students.
• Physical education teachers should consider low contextual interference strategies for designing effective agility programs for this age group.