ChaNgES IN MOtOr SkIllS Of BOyS whO traINED SpOrtS SwIMMINg IN aN aNNual traININg CyClE

This paper presents an empirical approach to the changes in motor skills of children who trained sports swimming at the initial stage of school education in an annual training cycle. The research included 94 boys aged 7 (1st grade of elementary school); 57 of them belonged to the Swimmers group and 37 belonged to the Control group. All boys attended elementary schools in Szczecin, Poland. Motor skills were assessed with 8 tests of the EUROFIT Test Battery. The study resulted in the following conclusions: I. Dynamics of changes in terms of overall balance, static strength, functional strength (between Examination I and II) was greater in the Swimmers group. II. In terms of upper limb movement, agility, explosive strength, torso strength, and agility run, differences between results of both examinations were similar in the Swimmers and Control groups. III. Progressive changes in motor skill of subjects were a positive phenomenon in the physical development of children. Thus, swimming trainings significantly impacted dynamics of positive changes in motor skills of boys at the early stage of school education. IV. Regular participation in sports classes (including swimming classes) had positive impact on motor skill development of children, which is of utmost importance at that age. key words: selection, motor skills, swimming Introduction Effects of trainers’ work depend largely on a correct selection process for sports swimming, and on professional, multi-step selection at a later stage (Eider 2014). It is easier and more effective to cooperate with athletes who possess qualities of the ‘champion model’ – Olympic and World Championship medalists. During many years of swimming trainings, focus should be placed on those characteristics of the body which are stable and developed by training (Opyrchał et al. 2005; Eider 2015).


Introduction
Effects of trainers' work depend largely on a correct selection process for sports swimming, and on professional, multi-step selection at a later stage (Eider 2014).It is easier and more effective to cooperate with athletes who possess qualities of the 'champion model' -Olympic and World Championship medalists.During many years of swimming trainings, focus should be placed on those characteristics of the body which are stable and developed by training (Opyrchał et al. 2005;Eider 2015).

Material and research methods
Subject group consisted of 94 boys aged 7 who attended four elementary schools in Szczecin.The Swimmers group was 57-strong; boys trained at the Municipal Swimming Club (MKP) in Szczecin.The Control group consisted of 37 boys who attended the same elementary schools.The Control group members were selected based on the age of the Swimmers group members, with 3 months' precision; all subjects attended the same grade (1st of elementary school).Children from the Control group did not participate in any sports/recreation classes.
All subjects took part in two examinations (Table 1), carried out in the 2009/2010 academic year among 1st graders of Elementary Schools no.51, 55, 56 and 62 in Szczecin (five swimming groups and four control groups).Examination I was conducted in September 2009, immediately after selection of Swimmers and Control groups (1st graders), while Examination II took place in June 2010, i.e. at the end of the 1st grade.The analysis included only those children who participated in both examinations.
Physical ability tests were conducted in gyms where they were preceded by standard warm-up for all children (7-8 minutes).The tests were as simple as possible and required minimal equipment.
Motor skills were assessed with 8 tests of the EUROFIT Test Battery (Grabowski and Szopa 1991): -General balance -Flamingo Balance Test -keeping balance while standing on one leg on a beam of certain dimensions.-Speed of upper limb movements -Plate Tapping Test -touching quickly two purposefully placed plates with the preferred (stronger) hand.-Flexibility -Sit-and-Reach Test -sitting and reaching forward as far as possible.
-Explosive leg power -Standing Broad Jump Test -broad jump from a standing position.
-Torso strength -Sit-Up Test -lying on the back and doing max.number of sit-up within 30 seconds.
-Functional strength -Bent Arm Hang Test -total time of maintain the hang position with bent arms on a bar.-Agility run -10 x 5 m Shuttle Run Test -running with max.speed and changes of direction.2).In the Swimmers group, it was on average 2.8 attempts, while in the Control group it was 1.9 (p = 0.0004) (Figure 1).Examination II proved statistically significant improvement of results in both groups (Sw, C) in comparison to Examination I (Table 3).In the Swimmers group, it was on average 1.4 s, while in the Control group it was 1.3 s (p = 0.280) (Figure 2).

Sit-and-reach test -flexibility
Swimmers group displayed statistically significantly better results in Examination I and II in terms of torso flexibility.Examination II proved statistically significant improvement of results in both groups (Sw, C) in comparison to Examination I (Table 4).In the Swimming Group, it was on average 5.1 cm, while in the Control group it was 4.5 cm (p = 0.241) (Figure 3).5).In the Swimming Group, it was on average 12.2 cm, while in the Control group it was 14.2 cm (p = 0.271) (Figure 4).Examination I revealed that in both groups (Sw, C) handgrip strength was identical.In Examination II statistically insignificantly better result was obtained by the Swimmers group.Examination II proved statistically significant improvement of results in both groups (Sw, C) in comparison to Examination I (Table 6).In the Swimmers group, it was on average 1.1 (psi -measurement in pounds per square inch), while in the Control group it was 0.8 (psi -measurement in pounds per square inch) (p = 0.010) (Figure 5).7).In the Swimmers group, it was on average 7.4 (n), while in the Control group it was 6.5 (n) (p = 0.148) (Figure 6).

Bent arm hang test -functional strength
Swimmers group displayed statistically significant better results in Examination I and II in terms of bent arm hang.Examination II proved statistically significant improvement of results in both groups (Sw, C) in comparison to Examination I (Table 8).In the Swimmers group, it was on average 3.9 s, while in the Control group it was 2.3 s (p = 0.0009) (Figure 7).In Examination I the average results of the shuttle run were statistically insignificantly better in the Swimmers group, while in Examination II the statistical difference was significant.Examination II proved statistically significant improvement of results in both groups (Sw, C) in comparison to Examination I (Table 9).In the Swimmers group, it was on average 2.7 s, while in the Control group it was 2.2 s (p = 0.259) (Figure 8).

Discussion
The research revealed changes in both groups (Sw, C) in terms of all eight tests.Examination II proved statistically significant improvement of results in both groups (Sw, C) in comparison to Examination I. Comparing the Swimmers and Control groups, the dynamics of changes between Examination I and II was greater among Swimmers only in balance, static strength and functional strength tests.In groups (Sw, C), differences between results of Examination I and II were similar in terms of speed of upper limb movement, agility, explosive strength, torso strength and agility run.Pietrusik's research (1981) confirmed that boys in Swimmers groups displayed significant improvements in final results of all physical ability tests.Pietrusik (1997) believes that better motor skills '...of girls and boys from the Swimmers groups in the final examination do not result from unique motor predispositions, but rather from specialized swimming exercises performed by children during the swimming training process' (Pietrusik 1997: 33).The Swimmers group did not attain better dynamics of changes in all tests than their peer Control group ( i.e. speed of upper limb movement, agility, explosive strength, torso strength, agility run).Progressive changes in motor skill of subjects were a positive phenomenon in the physical development of children.During both Examinations (I and II), subjects attended elementary school 1 st grade, i.e. the first grade of the early school age (Osiński 2011).Przewęda (1981: 164) described this period, saying that '...school takes over the role of a provider of factors that influence children and it needs to fulfill their biological motor needs'.According to Przewęda (1981: 164), children display a great 'need to blow off steam by physical activity, to satisfy their great hunger for activity.'Parents of children at early school age serve as 'stimulators' of development.It is their duty to provide children with additional sports classes.Based on child's interests, sports predispositions, family (sports) traditions, often it is the parent who choose a particular activity for the child, e.g.sports club, dancing club etc. Participation in organized, regular sports classes results in the development of motor (physical) skills of children (Torrance et al. 2007;Chalcarz et al. 2008;Wilk, Eider 2014).

Conclusions
1.In both groups (Sw, C) there was a statistically significant improvement of results of all motor skill tests in Examination I and II.
2. In Examination I and II, the Swimmers group displayed higher motors skills than Control group in terms of: overall balance, upper limb movement speed, agility, explosive strength, torso strength, functional strength and agility run (Figures 1,2,3,4,6,7,and 8 ).
3. Dynamics of changes between Examination I and II was the greatest among Swimmers in the following tests: overall balance, static strength, and functional strength (Figures 1, 5, 7).It was similar in the remaining 5 tests: upper limb movement speed, agility, explosive strenght, torso strength, and agility run (Figures 2,3,4,6,8).
4. Progressive changes in motor skill of subjects is a positive phenomenon in the physical development of a child.
5. Swimming training resulted significantly in positive changes in terms of motor skills of boys who were at the initial stage of swimming trainings, compared to their non-training peers.

figure 2 .
figure 2. Changes in the results of Plate Tapping Test (speed of upper limb movements) in the Swimmers group (Sw) and Control group (C) figure 4. Changes in the results of Standing Broad Jump Test (explosive leg power) in the Swimmers (Sw) group and Control (C) group figure 7. Changes is Bent Arm Hang Test (functional strength) results in the Swimmers (Sw) group and Control (C) group figure 8. Changes in 10 x 5m Shuttle Run Test (agility run) results in the Swimmers (Sw) group and Control (C) group)

table 1 .
Number of boys in Swimmers and Control groups during examinations

table 2 .
Descriptive characteristics of Flamingo Balance Test (general balance) in the Swimmers and Control groups Changes in Motor Skills of Boys who Trained Sports Swimming in an Annual Training Cycle plate tapping test -speed of upper limb movements Examination I revealed that average results of upper limb movement results were significantly lower (shorter time) in the Swimmers group.Examination II revealed statistically better results of boys from the Swimmers group.

table 3 .
Descriptive characteristics of Plate Tapping Test (speed of upper limb movements) results in the Swimmers Group (Sw) and Sw -Swimmers, C -Control, min -minimum value, max -maximum value, `X -arithmetic mean, SD -standard deviation, ss -statistical significance.

table 4 .
Descriptive characteristics of Sit-and-Reach Test (flexibility) results in Swimmers (Sw) group and Control (C) group Changes in Motor Skills of Boys who Trained Sports Swimming in an Annual Training Cycle Standing Broad Jump test -explosive leg power Swimmers group displayed statistically significantly better results in Examination I and II in terms of standing broad jump.Examination II proved statistically significant improvement of results in both groups (Sw, C) in comparison to Examination I (Table Sw -Swimmers, C -Control, min -minimum value, max -maximum value, `X -arithmetic mean, SD -standard deviation, ss -statistical significance.Vol.12, No. 4/2015

table 5 .
Descriptive characteristics of Standing Broad Jump Test (explosive leg power) results in the Swimmers (Sw) group and Control Sw -Swimmers, C -Control, min -minimum value, max -maximum value, `X -arithmetic mean, SD -standard deviation, ss -statistical significance.

table 6 .
Descriptive characteristics of Handgrip Strength Test (static strength) results in the Swimmers (Sw) and Control (C) groups Swimmers group displayed statistically significantly better results in Examination I and II in terms of sit-up test.Examination II proved statistically significant improvement of results in both groups (Sw, C) in comparison to Examination I (Table Sw -Swimmers, C -Control, min -minimum value, max -maximum value, `X -arithmetic mean, SD -standard deviation, ss -statistical significance.

table 7 .
Descriptive characteristics of Sit-Up Test (torso strength) results in the Swimmers (Sw) and Control (C) groups Sw -Swimmers, C -Control, min -minimum value, max -maximum value, `X -arithmetic mean, SD -standard deviation, ss -statistical significance.

table 8 .
Descriptive characteristics of Bent Arm Hang Test (functional strength) results in the Swimmers (Sw) group and Control Sw -Swimmers, C -Control, min -minimum value, max -maximum value, `X -arithmetic mean, SD -standard deviation, ss -statistical significance.

table 9 .
Descriptive characteristics of 10 x 5m Shuttle Run Test (agility run) results in the Swimmers (Sw) group and Control (C) group Control, min -minimum value, max -maximum value, `X -arithmetic mean, SD -standard deviation, ss -statistical significance.