The method of determining children’s suitability for sports

The physical education of children has always been a focus of attention for both Azerbaijani and global scholars. Prominent thinkers such as Nizami Ganjavi, Mahammad Fuzuli, Hasan bay Zardabi, Maragali Avhadi, Plato, Aristotle, John Amos Comenius, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Peter Lesgaft, and others have structured children's education and upbringing based on age groups. According to the renowned intellectual Hasan bay Zardabi, physical education plays a crucial role in successfully implementing intellectual and moral development. P.F. Lesgaft regarded physical education as one of the primary tools for shaping willpower, character, moral upbringing, intellectual ability, physical activity, and aesthetic appreciation. To improve these qualities, children have historically been divided into age groups. The division of children into age groups during the educational process has been approached differently by various scholars. The prominent Azerbaijani poet and philosopher Maragali Avhadi, when discussing physical education, proposed physical exercises and games suited to children’s age periods. This idea of aligning physical education with age-specific characteristics should be regarded as a significant development for its time. At the age of 7-8, as the bones are still developing and approaching the structure of adult bones, sports that require frequent jumping and agility, such as basketball, handball, and long jump, are recommended. This is because during this stage, the skeletal system is undergoing significant changes, and engaging in such activities helps in promoting bone strength and overall physical development. During the age period of 8-12, the development of all organs and systems in children and adolescents continues. The ossification of bones and the development of muscles accelerate, and by the page of 12, the bones no longer differ from those of an adult. In this stage, sports that require agility, flexibility, reaction time, attention, and psychological endurance, such as judo, soccer, table tennis, and badminton, can be recommended as suitable sports for children. These sports help develop physical and mental skills essential for further growth and development.