Transitions in competitive sports

Abstract

Physical education and sport are very important for development of physical skills and promoting physical activity among children and young people (Sallis et al., 1997). They also play a role in preventing many cardiovascular, psychological and musculoskeletal diseases in young and old people (Astrand et al., 2003). There are three main benefits of childhood and youth physical activity (Blair et al., 1989): direct improvement of quality of life; direct improvement of adult health status by, for example, delaying the onset of chronic disease; increased likelihood of maintaining adequate activity through childhood, thus indirectly enhancing adult health status.