Effects of lateral ball location, grade, and sex on catching.

To investigate the effects of lateral movement on the quality and quantity of catching as they interact with age, 108 children from Kindergarten through Grade 4 were tested. A ramp was constructed which slowed the descent of the 4-in. fleece ball so that it took 1.8 sec. to arrive at the child's location. Each ball could be delivered to one of five different locations in relation to the child. The child practiced five times, with balls coming in a random sequence to each location, the center of the ramp, 1 ft. and 2 ft. each to the right and left of the center. An increase in number of catches made and in the quality of the performance based on McClenaghan and Gallahue's evaluation were associated with grade. The locations 2 ft. from the center produced the fewest catches within a grade, but 1 ft. from center produced more catches from kindergarteners than the center location and occasionally for upper grades. Evaluations of the performances showed a steady improvement across grades, but there was no effect on the evaluation of catching performance of ball location within a grade. Children appear to be at a preferred stage.