AB021. Bebi basketball Žurko: children development through movement and game

Abstract: In today’s world, children all around us are engaged in spending their time in front of televisions, computers and tablets. No one can dispute the large amount of opportunities that modern technology has brought to us, but children of today are no longer spending their time outside, walking, running, jumping, climbing even falling. We need to keep in mind that specially in early age, movement creates a profound base for creativity, learning, thinking and other, higher mental functions. Body and mind are one, they interact and processes that take place in the central nervous system include the whole body. Keeping those things in mind, the Bebi basketball Žurko was created as a concept of basketball game adjusted for kids in between 2 and 8 years old. Game is a natural and spontaneous activity in which children can express their own needs, feelings, thoughts and happiness. Therefore, the main goal of Bebi basketball Žurko was, and still is, to influence on the development of children coordination, speed, precision, agility, strength, balance. All exercises and props (such as height and size of the basket, size and weight of balls) are tailored to the child’s age and abilities. Exercises are constructed in the way that child must go through different kind of motoric polygons and they always finish with throwing ball into the basket. Beside of all the physical benefits that basketball can bring to one, it also has positive affect on psychological characteristics. Being a team sport, basketball brings to a child the opportunity to socialize, it creates conditions for establishing healthy interpersonal relationships, creates a sense of responsibility. Furthermore, it develops a sense of self-confidence, self-control and respect to one another including the coach. Plan and program created for trainings in Bebi basketball Žurko allows to the children to move, develop and acquire working habits from the youngest age, which can later result as turning them into responsible people. Through the program of Bebi basketball Žurko, a child spends his time in organized but not strict structure so that he/she can feel and show happiness and enjoyment doing the whole basketball training.

Keywords: Basketball; development; movement; preschool children