Estudo comparativo da competência aquática de crianças nadadoras e de crianças que frequentam o 1º Ciclo do Ensino Básico

Abstract

Aquatic competence defines a generalized proficiency in relation to a set of aquatic skills directly related to aquatic safety. Its development results from involvement in aquatic activities, assuming children in competitive swimming will have superior aquatic competence. However, more is needed to know about the same competence in 1st Cycle school children and the influence of age on acquiring aquatic competence. This study compared the aquatic motor competence of children attending the 1st Cycle of Basic Education and swimming children. The sample consisted of two groups: G1, children attending 1st Cycle Basic Education schools in the Porto district who did not have swimming as a curricular component (n=65); and G2, children from the same district who competed in various swimming clubs (under 11 category, n=50). A further subdivision by age group (8-9 and 10-11 years) was considered for further analysis. The evaluation protocol included a battery of tests composed of nine aquatic skills: entry and exit the water, propulsion in the ventral, dorsal, and submersion positions, dorsal floating, breathing, vertical treading water, and rotations on the longitudinal axis in the vertical position (vertical rotation) and horizontal position, starting from the dorsal position, and on the transverse axis (complete forward and backward rotations and half rotations to change from ventral to dorsal position). The results showed that cadet swimmers are more competent aquatically compared to 1st Cycle school children, that aquatic competence tends to increase with age, and that swimmers tend to have higher performance capacity than older school children. However, this was not verified in all evaluated aquatic skills, highlighting the need to review teaching programs to prepare children for risk situations better.