Physical literacy still important for children
Physical literacy is the mastering of fundamental movement and sport skills that permit a child to read their environment and make appropriate decisions, allowing them to move confidently and with control in a wide range of physical activity situations.
Sound familiar? Sure, it’s how most of us in the pre-technological era grew up — in the outdoors playing road hockey, pick-up baseball, ninja flipping over fences, nicky nicky nine door, climbing trees, touch football (always ending in full contact).
OK, maybe I just described my upbringing, but I’m sure many of you share similar experiences. This sort of free-wheeling way of growing up is diminishing generation to generation, much like our taste in inevitable “oldies” music as we reach a new level of maturity.
The most important thing for young athletes is not to be out there specializing in one movement pattern or specific sport.
They should be out there climbing on the monkey bars, scraping their knees, playing schoolyard pick-up games and generally figuring it out while having fun.
By doing this, your child will not only develop physical coordination and motor skills, but an early active start also enhances development of brain function, posture and balance.
It also helps children to become confident, gain emotional control and develop both social skills and an imagination.
As a golf coach, I’d rather see a kid who’s never touched a golf club until the age of 12 with a multi-sport upbringing, than a kid who’s been playing a few years with no other activity incorporated.
Want to know one of the best sports for developing the ABC’s — agility, balance, coordination — of physical literacy in children and the intangibles mentioned in the previous paragraph? Skateboarding.
Think about the amount of agility, balance and coordination it takes to zip around the skate park on your board only to fall and scrape your knee, cry in front of your friends, then get up and try it all again.
Next time you see us running, jumping or crawling instead of golfing with kids in a young person’s golf camp, think twice before approaching the coaching staff. These basic movements are much more beneficial than working on the proper grip at this stage of development. You only get one opportunity to develop your body, but we can teach a proper grip any time.
Remember, the race is long and the importance of the FUNdamentals (see what I did there) is essential if you want to make an impact on your long-term athlete for life.
For more information, Google long-term athlete development stages or come by Two Eagles Golf Course & Academy for a chat.