Children's choice of sports is rarely based on which movement skills they are really good at or on what they really like. A child participates in dance classes or football training because a friend does, or because their parents used to practice that sport. As a result, many children soon discover that the chosen sport is not quite right for them. The lessons are difficult or are not as fun as they first thought/hoped/anticipated, so they look for another sport or just stop exercising altogether. This can negatively affect their self-esteem and ultimately lead to a lack of physical activity (in the long run).

When children choose a sport based on their own abilities and motivation, they enjoy it more and they can also appreciate the progress they make. This contributes to their well-being and a lasting healthy lifestyle. Thanks to SportKompas, children find their way to the appropriate sports club in their municipality more easily, which results in a better targeted intake in the clubs. This ultimately leads to more and higher motivated and skilled athletes and fewer dropouts.

When participating in SportKompas, each child receives a personal report with the 7 sports that suit them best. Based on this report, the child or the parents can make the right sports choice. After using SportKompas, the sports department of each municipality can make the connection to the sports clubs, sports camps or initiations in the vicinity of where the child lives.

In addition, the sports teacher can use the individual results of SportKompas to give advice and adapt their lessons more individually and more specifically to the abilities and skills of each child.

SportKompas consists of three different components:

• I LIKE: digital questionnaire that assesses (exercise) preferences
• I AM: digital questionnaire to gain insight into the sports participation of a child and the/their motivation to exercise
• I DO: 12 movement exercises

A scientific approach

SportKompas is based on the scientific research of the Department of Movement and Sports Sciences at Ghent University, led by Prof. Dr. Matthieu Lenoir (motor and mobility skills) and Prof. Dr. Leen Haerens (motivation and sports pedagogy).

The digital platform for SportKompas uses validated datasets, algorithms for sports orientation, and questionnaires about motivation and sports participation. Standardized equipment is used for the physical tests (i.e. the SportKompas flightcase).