Paper Title
ORGANIZED SPORTS ARE RELATED TO BETTER PHYSICAL FITNESS AMONG LITHUANIAN SCHOOLCHILDREN

Abstract
Abstract - Background. Physical fitness is crucial for the overall well-being and development of schoolchildren (Morales et al., 2013). Developing physical fitness is crucial for various activities in daily life and contributes to overall physical competence (Utesch et al., 2019). This study aims to identify the links between organized after-school sports and physical fitness. Methods. The cross-sectional epidemiological study included 3133 school-age children from 11 to 18 years old, mean age of 14.08 (2.21). There were 49.1% of boys and 50.1% of girls. Physical fitness indicators were measured by the EUROFIT test battery (Committee of Experts on Sports Research). Children were asked if they participate in organized sports after school and the frequency of participation per week, with answers (0) – Do not participate, (1-7) – Times/week of participation. Also, they were asked for how long they were participating. They had to write themselves the appropriate answer in months and/or years. Age, gender, and body mass index were considered covariates in this analysis. A series of linear hierarchical regressions were performed for each physical fitness indicator. In the first step, covariates were included, and in the second step – organized sports indicators as predictors were added. Results showed that 66% of school-age children participate in organized after-school sports at least once per week. Younger children were more likely to participate in after-school sports than older ones. Hierarchical linear regression analysis revealed that the higher frequency of participation is related to better physical fitness performance except for flexibility and longer participation in organized sports predicts higher performance except for the muscular endurance of the upper body. Older age, male gender and not being overweight or obese were also associated with better physical fitness performance. Conclusion. Participation in organized sports should be encouraged as well as the higher frequency of it as it contributes significantly to children‘s physical development and current and future health. Keywords - Schoolchildren, Physical Fitness, Organized Sports.