{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,27]],"date-time":"2026-07-27T07:00:50Z","timestamp":1785135650931,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,27]],"date-time":"2026-07-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785110400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["J. Funct. Morphol. Kinesiol.","JFMK"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: This study aimed to compare changes in motor coordination associated with two different motor practice models\u2014multisport and single-sport soccer training\u2014in children, without implying causal effects of one training context over the other. Methods: A quasi-experimental pre\u2013post study (T0\u2013T1) was conducted over 10 weeks in non-randomized, pre-existing groups. A total of 143 children (mean age: 6.21 \u00b1 0.55 years; 107 males) were allocated to a Multisport Group (MG; n = 79) and a Single-sport Group (SG; n = 64). Motor coordination was assessed using the K\u00f6rperkoordinationstest f\u00fcr Kinder (KTK), and raw scores (RAW SCORE) were used for analysis. Statistical analyses included t-tests, change-score (\u0394) and effect-size analyses, and two-way repeated-measures ANOVA. Results: Both groups showed significant improvements over time (p &lt; 0.001; d = 0.75 for MG, d = 0.77 for SG). However, the MG showed significantly greater improvements than the SG (\u0394 = 16.68 \u00b1 6.14 vs. 12.28 \u00b1 4.08; p &lt; 0.001; d = 0.83). At T1, the SG still showed slightly higher absolute RAW SCORE values than the MG (p = 0.049; d = \u22120.33), although this between-group difference was markedly reduced compared to baseline (d = \u22120.59). The ANOVA revealed a very large effect of Time (F(1,141) = 1092.31, p &lt; 0.001, \u03b72p = 0.886), a small-to-medium effect of Group (F(1,141) = 7.51, p = 0.007, \u03b72p = 0.051), and a large Time \u00d7 Group interaction (F(1,141) = 24.18, p &lt; 0.001, \u03b72p = 0.146). A sensitivity analysis (ANCOVA) confirmed that, after adjusting for baseline scores, sex, and anthropometric variables, the Multisport group showed significantly higher adjusted T1 scores than the Single-sport group (adjusted mean difference = 3.96 points, 95% CI: 1.93\u20135.99), reversing the direction observed in the unadjusted T1 comparison. Given the non-randomized design and baseline group differences, findings reflect observed associations rather than causal effects. Conclusions: Both practice models were associated with improved motor coordination, with multisport participation associated with greater observed change over 10 weeks. These findings are consistent with a possible role of diversified motor experiences in coordination development, though this study cannot establish causality.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jfmk11030295","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,27]],"date-time":"2026-07-27T05:49:27Z","timestamp":1785131367000},"page":"295","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Multisport vs. Single-Sport Training and Motor Coordination in Children: A Quasi-Experimental Pre\u2013Post Comparison"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-4566-6417","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nicola","family":"Mancini","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Education and Sport Sciences, Pegaso Telematic University, 80143 Naples, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rita","family":"Polito","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology and Education, Pegaso Telematic University, 80143 Naples, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0011-867X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giovanni","family":"Messina","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Section of Human Physiology and Unit of Dietetics and Sports Medicine, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania \u201cLuigi Vanvitelli\u201d, 80138 Naples, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7184-218X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marcellino","family":"Monda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Section of Human Physiology and Unit of Dietetics and Sports Medicine, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania \u201cLuigi Vanvitelli\u201d, 80138 Naples, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Francesco Paolo","family":"Colecchia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Section of Human Physiology and Unit of Dietetics and Sports Medicine, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania \u201cLuigi Vanvitelli\u201d, 80138 Naples, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4846-4491","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Vlad Teodor","family":"Grosu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechatronics and Machine Dynamics, Universitatea Tehnica, 400114 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Simone","family":"Lombardi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Humanistic Studies, University of Foggia, 71121 Foggia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Antonietta","family":"Messina","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania \u201cLuigi Vanvitelli\u201d, 80138 Naples, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-5584-6409","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Siria","family":"Mancini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Humanistic Studies, University of Foggia, 71121 Foggia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1274-0332","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fiorenzo","family":"Moscatelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Education and Sport Sciences, Pegaso Telematic University, 80143 Naples, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"290","DOI":"10.1080\/00336297.2008.10483582","article-title":"A developmental perspective on the role of motor skill competence in physical activity: An emergent relationship","volume":"60","author":"Stodden","year":"2008","journal-title":"Quest"},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"Gallahue, D.L., Ozmun, J.C., and Goodway, J.D. 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