Slovak nationwide testing of physical indicators and movement prerequisites of 1st grade elementary school students

Introduction The goal of study was to update the data about somatic indicators and selected physical abilities of 6- and 7-year-old female students by the nationwide testing of students in Slovakia in 2018, which we then compared with the Eurofit norms. Methods The national testing was attended by pupils of the 1st year of elementary school from all over Slovakia, but we only worked with girls. Physical and sports education teachers were responsible for testing. They measured body height and body weight. From the movement tests, we evaluated only selected fitness skills such as the 4x10 m shuttle run, the long jump from the standing position, the endurance in the overhand bend and the multi-stage endurance shuttle run of 20 m. The data collection of the motor tests took place all at once on one day, while the measurement of somatic indicators could be carried out a day in advance. When processing the obtained data, we calculated mathematical-statistical characteristics, for the creation of TV, TH and BMI standards we used 5-point standards, but for the selected movement abilities we chose to sort the data according to a 9-point scale when creating the standards. Results We assumed that the norms of physical indicators and selected movement skills would be different in terms of age, which we managed to confirm. We also found mathematical differences in selected tests with a comparison of official data published on the website of the Ministry of Education. Conclusion Nationwide testing served as the first selection of children for sports. According to the literature, this is a basic selection of talented youth, when the widest possible coverage of the population of children of the same age should be ensured. According to our standards, talented children in specific tests are in standards 8 and 9. However, it is necessary to respect the structure of sports performance in each sport.