Youth Fitness for Parents: How does physical literacy help your athlete?
If you are a parent with kids in sports, you might be wondering “How is all this talk of physical literacy going to help my kids? I mean shouldn’t my kids just spend more time playing their sport?”
I can understand why you might feel that way, but remember what we said in our first blog, “Every child should be able to run, jump, throw, catch, tumble, climb” etc? Missing any of these skills leaves a gap, missing multiple skills at best leaves opportunity for confidence to deteriorate and at worst for injury to occur. More importantly children that possess these skills move with competence, confidence and fearlessness not just through life in general, but also in their sport of choice.
Here are just a few ways that physical literacy provides a fundamental foundation for athletic success:
- It provides a foundation of fundamental physical skills such as balance, coordination, agility, and power that can continue to be built upon with sport-specific training. This in turn helps athletes perform at a higher level in their sport.
Stronger Fundamentals = Performance gains
- Physical literacy helps athletes develop the physical and mental skills necessary to perform at a higher level in their sport, leading to improved athletic performance and better results.
Physical and Mental skills = Better results
- Athletes who are physically literate have a better understanding of their bodies and how to move in a safe and efficient manner. This can reduce the risk of injury, allowing athletes to train and compete for longer periods of time.
Lower risk of injury + more efficiency= Longer Athletic Career
- Studies have shown that physical literacy can improve focus, concentration, and self-discipline, which all contribute to better athletic performance.
All the Magic!
Physical literacy is more than just an important component for young athletes- it is a necessary foundation for growth, assuring the development of fundamental motor skills, understand the structure and function of their bodies, and gain knowledge and confidence that can help young athletes reach peak performance. With physical literacy, athletes can achieve more, stay safe and perform with excellence; and isn’t that what we all want for our kids?
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