Linking Motor Competence to Children’s Self-Perceptions: The Mediating Role of Physical Fitness

Functional Motor Fitness, but not Strength/Size, showed small-to-moderate, domain-specific links with children's Athletic (and, when adjusting for adiposity, Scholastic/Social) self-perceptions; mediated effects were small and not FDR-supported. Findings highlight the salience of visible, functional performances (e.g., agility/endurance tasks) for children's self-views and support PE approaches that foster diverse motor skills and motor fitness. Because the study is cross-sectional and BMI-adjusted analyses are presented as robustness checks, caution should be exercised when interpreting the results causally.