This article represents a review of the existing literature on possible long-term effects of sport participation at high-level on health. Search of databases was performed through Web of Science and Science Direct including following keywords: metabolic risk factor/syndrome, diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular health. Former athletes tend to adopt healthier lifestyles, which may give them an advantage in relation to risk factors taking into account metabolic risk factor/syndrome, diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular health. Health benefits of physical activities, moreover, depends of engagement at recommended levels, even in subjects who have never been athletes. 

The aim of this research was to examine in which way the constructs of emotional intelligence and perfectionism predict mental health of adolescent football layers. The sample consisted of 164 participants (average age 16.63 (± 10,21) years). The research was conducted in April 2018 and it included the cadet football players from KolubaraMacva league in Serbia. Test of Emotional Management (TUE; Babić-Čikeš i Buško, 2014), Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS; Frost et al. 1990) and Mental Health Inventory (MHI-38; Veit & Ware, 1983) were used to generalize data. During the process of data analysis, metric characteristics of the measuring instruments were first tested using the method of internal consistency which was based on Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The empirical findings of the correlation analysis revealed that there is no link between emotional intelligence and mental health of football players, meaning that managing emotions is only linked to adaptive dimensions of perfectionism (p ≤ 0,01). The obtained coefficient of multiple determination (R = 0.27) indicated that the group of predictors accounted for 27% of the variance of mental health, meaning that the perception of non-adaptive traits of perfectionism: (a) worry about mistakes, (b) dilemmas regarding one’s own actions and (c) parental criticism contribute the higher number of mental health problems. In addition, it showed that the adaptive trait of perfectionism (organizational skills) directly contributes better mental health of cadet football player. The results of this study suggest that the variables of emotional intelligence and perfectionism have significant role in prediction mental health among adolescent football players. 

In the history of human kind in all ethnic groups and communities there have been individuals with physical or mental disabilities. Until the 18th century not only these individuals did not receive any support or care by their community but they were rather treated as inferior with a diminishing way. More or less the same attitude occurs to the ancient Greek world, where old age, limited psychomotor skills and potential disability were perceived as evidence of deprivation of the grace of gods. A minor acknowledgment of individuals with disabilities started from Athens, since there were several benefits introduced on behalf of the disabled for the very first time in the history of human kind. In the ancient times Greeks made use of physical exercise as a mean for therapeutic as well as prevention purposes against various diseases. Thus, a great number of distinguished physicians such as Herodikos and his student Hippocrates recommended physical exercise as the ideal treatment of several health-related problems. 

The aim of this research was to determine the differences in health-related fitness between preschool children involved in organized and unorganized physical activities. This study was performed on a sample of 220 healthy preschool children that were divided into two groups, organized physical activity group (N=99) and unorganized physical activity group (N=121). Beside the set of anthropometric variables children were tested for Standing broad jump, Classic sitand-reach test, Bent arm hang, Sit-ups in 30 seconds and Handgrip strength test. The t-test applied to determine differences between anthropometric characteristic revealed differences for almost all variables (p≤0.05). Moreover, the organized physical activity group showed better results in all fitness variables compared to unorganized group (p≤0.01). It can be concluded that the developmental gymnastics program has influence on improvement of health-related fitness in preschool children.

The aim of this study was to determine the relations between morphological characteristics and specific motor skills of karate athletes, where by the obtained results would be used in better planning and programming of training. Twenty-five young adults karate athletes (15.32 ± 0.22 years) members CC “Šotokan” from Loznica with a sports experience of not less than 8 years participated in this study. The research involved the measurement of certain morphological characteristics and specific motor skills of forward hand punch and foot strikes using standardized tests. The application of the regression analysis showed that there is a statistically significant influence of the system of predictor variables on the criterion variables (p≤0.05) reverse punch - gyaku-zuki (P=0.00), lunge punch - oi-zuki (P=0.00) and front kick - mae-geri (P=0.01). The total variability ranged from 50% of the criterion of the front kick - mae-geri to 60% of the criterion of lunge punch - oi-zuki. The values of the standardized regression coefficient Beta indicate the individual positive and statistically significant influence of the body height and muscle mass variables on the criteria tested: gyaku-zuki, oi-zuki and mae-geri, and the negative impact of the body weight variable on the oi-zuki criterion (pβ≤0,05). A positive influence of the overall body water quantity variable on the gyaku-zuki criterion (pβ≤0,05) was also determined. It can be concluded that there is a connection between the morphological characteristics and the specific motor skills of junior-age karate athletes from Loznica. 

Nutritional status is a relevant indicator of optimal growth and development, as well as the health status of children. Since nutritional status can influence the expression of children’s motor capacities, a study has been carried out in order to examine differences in motor abilities of children in relation to their nutritional status. The sample included 300 first- and second-grade students (132 boys, 168 girls). Students’ motor literacy and motor ability status was evaluated by reduced version of “EUROFIT” test battery, while nutritional status was evaluated based on the body mass index. IOTF criteria were used in order to assign participants into four distinctive groups – underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese. Differences between groups in motor ability status were tested by Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. No significant differences were found between groups of a different nutritional status in most of the motor abilities, suggesting that BMI does not represent a high-quality predictor of motor abilities of children of lower elementary school grades. 

Studies concerning the effects of different invasion games on physical fitness in school children are scarce. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the application of invasion games on physical fitness in primary school children. A total of 62 primary school children aged 10-12 years voluntarily participated in this study. They were divided into experimental (32) and control (30) group. Physical fitness of children was estimated by the following tests: Standing broad jump, Vertical jump, Bent-arm hang, Sit-ups, Push- ups, Medicine ball test and Andersen test. The experimental group had twice per week invasion games on non-consecutive days for 12 weeks. Participants in control group did not perform specific program but attended their regular PE class twice per week. Compared with initial measurement, there was a significant (p < 0.05) improvement in vertical jump test for both groups. Furthermore, the group that participated in the invasion games program made significantly greater gains compared to the control group (p < 0.05) in Standing broad jump (8.2%; ES=0.56 vs. 3%; ES=0.2) and Medicine ball test (8.2%; ES=0.6 vs. 3%; ES=0.3). There was a significant improvement in bent arm hang, sit ups and push-ups in experimental group. Compared with initial measurement, there was a significant (p < 0.05) improvement in Andersen test in invasion games group, which was not the case with control group (p>0.05). To conclude, invasion games were an effective way of improving physical fitness in primary school children, because the results of this study indicate that this method was more effective for physical fitness than traditional school program. 

The aim of this study is to establish the effects of specially programmed circuit training on physical fitness in primary school children. A total of 58 (28 girls) primary school children aged 11-13 (experimental group 12.2±1.2, control group 12.4±1.1) years voluntarily participated in this study. Physical fitness of children is assessed based on motor skills, through the following tests: abdominal muscle endurance - Sit-ups test, upper body strength and muscular endurance - Bent-arm hang test, upper-body muscular endurance - Pushups test, muscular strength and power of the lower limbs - Standing broad jump test, agility and speed - 4x10m test and flexibility - Sit and reach test. During the regular classes of physical education, the experimental group conducted a circular training lasting 15-20 minutes, at the same time control group practiced exercises that were in accordance with the plan and program of teaching physical education for a particular teaching unit. The treatment lasted for 15 weeks, with two classes of physical education per week. The results for the standing broad jump indicated significant differences between groups following 15 weeks. Furthermore, the group that participated in the circuit training program made significantly greater gains compared to the control group (p<0.05) in bent-arm hang, sit-ups and sit and reach. The results for the 4x10m test indicated no significant differences in time, group and their interaction (p≥0.05). To conclude, circuit training appears to be an effective way of improving physical fitness in primary school children. The results of this study indicate that this method was more effective for performance than traditional school program. 

The aim of this study was to establish the genderrelated differences among children 6-6.5 years of age in anthropometric characteristics so as to observe their development and make more appropriate selection for participation in guided and organised physical activities. A battery of 7 anthropometric measurements was used on the representative sample of 175 subjects of both genders from Valjevo (M=45 aged 6 and M=83 aged 6.5; F = 44 aged 6 and F=43 aged 6.5). The multivariate analysis of variance showed the existence of statistically significant differences (p=0.00) in the anthropometric space of the two ages analysed regarding the gender. Through the individual analysis, the differences at age 6 were found in the Upper arm skin fold variable (p=0.03) and the Back-skin fold (p=0.00), whereas with the 6.5-year-old subjects, the differences were found in the Body height variable (p=0.03), Upper arm skin fold (p=0.00) and Back skin fold (p=0.02), both in favour of the boys. It can be assumed that the differences are the result of the endogenous and exogenous factors upon the children's organism in the period of childhood in a smaller urban community of the southwest Serbia. 

The main purpose of our article was to broaden the knowledge of the level of the motor performance of young soccer players in puberty, taking into account their biological age. The object of our research was 18 soccer players in the U 15 category of the soccer club ŠK Slovan Bratislava divided into a subset with accelerated development (n=10) with body height 177,4 ± 5,1 cm, body weight 65,8 ± 7,5 kg and a subset with retarded development (n=8) with body height 170,9 ± 7,3 cm, body weight 63,9 ± 7,7 kg. To assess the motor performance, a set of 3 tests to evaluate speed and speed-coordination (agility) capabilities was applied. The set of tests contained a 10 m run (n=10 - average value of 1.61 s, n=8 - average value of 1.62 s), a 30 m run (n=10 - average value of 4.13 s, n=8 - average value of 4.16 s) and a 5 x 10 m run with a change of direction (n=10 - average value of 11.55 s, n=8 - average value of 11.70 s). Using the Mann-Whitney U test, we did not confirm in our case a statistically significant different level in the motor performance of the monitored sets with regard to the degree of their biological maturity.