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Htqe.2026.10

https://doi.org/10.22364/htqe.2026.10 | 167-179 | PDF

The World Athletics Kids’ Athletics Programme in the Skola2030 Context: Physical Fitness Trends and Curriculum Compatibility

Sandra Krūma1, Rihards Parandjuks1

1 University of Latvia

Abstract
In recent years, increasing attention has been devoted to children’s physical activity and its role in promoting a healthy society. The Kids’ Athletics programme offers a playful and structured approach to developing fundamental movement skills and physical fitness. This study examines the programme’s implementation in Latvia from 2022 to 2025 and assesses its compatibility with the Skola2030 Sports and Health curriculum. A comparative observational design involving successive annual cohorts was used. Physical fitness outcomes were analysed as the proportions of participants meeting established standards in speed, strength, and endurance. Group differences were assessed using Fisher’s exact tests, and the resulting p values were adjusted using the Holm procedure.
The Kids’ Athletics group showed a higher proportion of participants meeting the standards in all 12 comparisons. However, none of the differences remained statistically significant after Holm correction. The results therefore indicate a consistent positive trend rather than a statistically confirmed programme effect. Content analysis also showed substantial compatibility between Kids’ Athletics and the competency-based approach of Skola2030.

Keywords: Kids’ Athletics, physical fitness, fundamental movement skills, sport pedagogy, Skola2030

In: Human, Technologies and Quality of Education, 2026. Proceedings of Scientific Papers = Cilvēks, tehnoloģijas un izglītības kvalitāte, 2026. Rakstu krājums.  Ed. L. Daniela. Riga: University of Latvia, 2026. 236 p.
ISBN 978-9934-36-685-7 
https://doi.org/10.22364/htqe.2026