WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
Before a child or young person becomes actively involved in sport – especially if it becomes a regular training schedule or competition regime – it is important to ensure that their body is ready for the expected stresses and changes that come with the rapid growth process. Sports science and medical tests provide much more information than just general health indicators (weight, height, blood pressure, etc.). They also make it possible to assess the condition of the locomotor apparatus, cardiovascular system, respiratory system, growth dynamics and whether the young athlete is ready for increased physical exertion.
Of course, it can be debated to what extent it is felt in the practical daily routine of training and in the flow of funding, however, at the level of sports policy, children’s and youth sports in Latvia are marked as a priority. Since the days when I was still training at a sports school, all young people have passed various examinations and testing of physical indicators. I still remember with humor how during the endurance test (beeptest) in the gym the recording of the cassette tape suddenly ended. Of course, it would be tempting to say that the superior fitness of our training group was to blame, but more likely there was a misunderstanding of the protocol or the tests were not yet properly tailored to our audience.
A lot has changed over the years. Tests have become more standardized, better organized, more accurate and based on internationally recognized methods. Among them is also the widely used Eurofit test methodology, which allows for an objective evaluation of the physical abilities of children and young people. In addition to blood and urine analysis, vision and heart tests, the recently opened Sports Medicine Center of the Children’s Hospital also uses this methodology, ensuring a versatile and modern assessment of the young athlete’s health and physical fitness.
Read the whole article in the magazine Sports Newspaper in the December issue! You can subscribe to the content of the magazine in both printed and digital format on our website HERE!
