When Playing Is Not About the Physical Sporting Experience

Abstract

The aim of this chapter was to examine the positive and negative emotional intensity in schoolchildren with and without sport experience, when participating in motor games. One hundred fifty-two students of Elementary Education (age range = 8–12 years, Mage = 9.72, SD = 1.18) belonging to two Spanish schools participated. After finishing each of the games, the students completed the Games and Emotions Scale for Children to assess the emotional intensity experienced. The intensity of positive emotions was higher (M = 3.71, SD = 0.89) than negative emotions (M = 1.18, SD = 0.25, p < 0.001). Sporting experience is not a determinant of the type of emotion experienced. However, it was found to relativise the average emotional intensity, both positive and negative. The results could benefit physical education teachers and practitioners by providing them with practical evidence-based information to organise teaching content, generating the desired motor behaviours through positive experiences.