Athletics, Growth and Development in Children

The unique feature of this study is that subjects were selected on the basis of athletic success at an early age. It was hoped that choosing youngsters who were successful in swimming or tennis might reveal any factor throughout growth which might indicate some reason for success in that activity. Because the study was longitudinal, it allowed the children to be traced through puberty.
Does participation in competitive athletics influence the growth and development of children? In order to answer this question, researchers at the University of Western Australia collected data for five years. They compared the anthropometric, functional, physiological, and behavioral measurements of youngsters who were tennis players, swimmers, and also members of a non-competitive control group.