Abstract

Longitudinal data on pupils of a secondary school, preparing for university /higher vocational education, show, between age 12 and 17, neither a decline in sports club membership nor in time spent on sports activity in clubs in the boys and a lower participation in girls only at age 17. Despite a reduction in non-sport activities, especially the more intensive, physical fitness in boys increased and increased or remained the same in girls. Comparison of those participating in sports in clubs for many years and non-participants revealed a similar development in physical fitness and only a better aerobic fitness in the participants. Since the period after secondary school is characterized by dramatic changes, and is expected to be accompanied with a reduction in sports- and other activities, these youngsters were remeasured 5 years later, to study the changes in their sportparticipation and habitual physical activity pattern between age 16/17 and 21/22, and to compare the development of physical fitness in longterm participants in sports in clubs and longterm non-participants. Verf.-Referat