Preface

Regardless of gender, social class, cultural orientation, environmental influence, or ability, children have an innate need to play, irrespective of whether it is a formal or an informal mode. As professionals in this area, it is our responsibility to ensure the availability and provision of enjoyable conducive opportunities and environments that not only promote fitness but also nurture, develop, and perfect skills for optimal sports performance. Many books have presented and described basic concepts and general literature concerning physical activity, physical fitness, and sports among children and youth. However, current evidence and reviews targeting specialized programmes and interventions reveal a need for additional literature on topical issues which could provide important new information to support practitioners, future programmes, and possibly be applied in other settings. This book presents a rich mix of topics linked to physical activity and fitness among children and youth that augments existing literature.

Chapter 1 is a chapter on physical activity, fitness, and cognitive function in children and adolescents seeks to clarify the less understood influences of participation in physical activity on cognitive function at different stages of development. The authors note that specific effects of physical activity vary by intensity, mode, volume, and domain. They also summarize the relevant literature by linking empirical research to school and community settings. The chapter concludes that comprehensive approaches across multiple settings, offering opportunities to participate in physical activity, have the most significant potential for enhancing cognitive health among children and adolescents.

Studies have increasingly focused on the role of motor skill development on performance and the well-being of children with disabilities. Chapter 2 is a review chapter comparing the motor proficiency between children with typical development and children with autism spectrum disorder focuses on typical and atypical motor development. The chapter authors present proposals for improving the motor development of children and young people with autism.

Chapter 3 reminds us that over the last few decades, decreasing physical activity and increasing sedentary lifestyles have been associated with the progressive decline in physical fitness in children and adolescents. The authors investigate the evolution of fitness in adolescents by comparing the status of both muscular strength and body mass index (BMI) in 1990 with that of 2020. The study concludes that there is a need to assess and monitor physical fitness, as a health status indicator, in adolescents.

In cognizance of the global increase in vitamin D3 Deficiency associated with several health challenges likely to compromise performance in physical activity and sports, a chapter in this book highlights the role of vitamin D and its deficiency and implications on physical activity and sports performance. Chapter 4 focuses on children and adolescents, who are at a prime age for foundational development of motor function, skills, and performance. It recommends sun exposure as the primary source of vitamin D with additional attention to vitamin D supplementation to support health and sports performance.

The final chapter seeks to examine the role and status of school sports. Although the literature supports the importance of quality physical education and school sports for different aspects of learners' development, school sports face various implementation challenges. The chapter authors express concerns that without meaningful motivation, continuous reform, or revision of policy, the desired delivery of physical education and school sports will remain unachievable.

I thank all the authors who contributed to the writing and successful completion of this book. I also express my heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Yasmin Goodwin for her encouragement and support in the editorial process.

## **Dr. Lucy-Joy Wachira, Ph.D.**

Department of Physical Education, Exercise and Sports Science, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya

## **Chapter 1**
