Determining the differences in involvement in organized sports/physical activities between boys and girls up to the age of 7

Currently in Croatia there is a lack of information that would enable understanding and insight into certain differences in the involvement of boys and girls of preschool age in certain organized sports /physical activities, in martial arts and non-martial arts as well as in individual and team sports activities. The research sought to determine in witch organized sports / physical activities are involved children up to the age of 7. A sample of the respondents consisted of children up to the age of 7 (N = 1291, 675 M and 616 F) who were involved in the work of a sports association or a sports club operating in Virovitica and Osijek. The results show that by the age of 7, boys were statistically significantly more involved in football (96.9% vs 3.1%), athletics (62.9% vs 37.1%) and judo (74.3% vs 25.7%) then girls, while girls were statistically significantly more involved in gymnastics (62.5% vs 37.5%) and dance (75% vs 25%) then boys. At age 7, girls were statistically significantly more involved in individual organized sports/physical activities then boys (58.6% vs 41.4%), while boys were significantly more involved in the team's sports / physical activity then girls (66.7% vs 33.3%). Children up to the age of 7 show a significantly higher inclination, meaning they are significantly more involved in non-combat and individual sports/physical activities. In addition, up to the age of 7 boys statistically significantly participate in non-combat sports activities, while girls statistically significantly participate in non-combat and individual sporting activities. Boys and girls ages 7 participate equally in organized sports / physical activities, and significant differences between boys and girls appear in the selection and affinity of individual sports activities. There is a connection between choosing a sports and the sex of a pre-school child, but the reasons for these gender differences are not so clear. U Hrvatskoj trenutačno postoji nedostatak informacija koje bi omogućile razumijevanje i uvid u postojanje određenih razlika u uključenosti dječaka i djevojčica predškolske dobi u pojedine organizirane sportske/tjelesne aktivnosti, zatim u borilačke i neborilačke te u individualne i timske sportske aktivnosti. Istraživanjem se željelo utvrditi u koje su sve organizirane sportske/tjelesne aktivnosti uključeni dječaci i djevojčice u dobi do 7 godina. Uzorak ispitanika činila su djeca u dobi do 7 godina (N=1291; 675 M i 616 Ž) koja su bila uključena u rad