New parents will attest – there can sometimes be pressure to make sure children hit their milestones. Every little body is different but ultimately, we all want to make sure we’re providing opportunities for them to grow and thrive, and not just physically!
Youth sport has long been recognized as an important spoke in the wheel of holistic development. Developing brain-body connections, understanding their own physicality, developing an appetite for healthy risk-taking and understanding their own limitations is all on the agenda in the youth sport setting!
The ability to perform activities with ease and confidence relies on solid gross motor skills. As little bodies grow and build strength, fine motor skill development also enters the mix. Both gross and fine motor skills are essential for children, and these two skill sets are closely interconnected. Gross motor skills, like running, jumping, and maintaining balance, provide the strength, stability, and coordination needed for fine motor control, which is critical for precise actions like dribbling, shooting, as well as handwriting, buttoning shirts and zipping up coats.
- Start with a strong foundation:
Gross motor skills lay the groundwork for physical fitness and overall health. Activities that enhance coordination, balance, and strength help children develop the stamina and agility needed for various sports and everyday tasks. Running, jumping and dribbling drills improve cardiovascular health as well as muscle tone and set the foundation for my complex physical challenges.
- Brain-body connection:
Physical activity is not just about the body—it’s also about the brain. Gross motor activities stimulate the brain’s development, improving cognitive functions such as concentration, memory, problem-solving and decision making. Youth sports play a pivotal role in enhancing coordination between the left and right hemispheres. Crossing the midline by dribbling a basketball with one hand and then crossing it over to the other side of the body to switch hands requires the brain to coordinate both hemispheres, improving balance and spatial awareness.
- Confidence and self-esteem
Mastering gross motor skills can significantly boost a child’s confidence. When children learn to jump higher, run faster, or shoot a basketball accurately, they gain a sense of achievement and self-assurance that spills into other areas of life. Helping them adopt a positive mindset to other physically demanding tasks.
- Encouraging Healthy Risk-Taking
Children between four and eight years old are naturally curious and eager to explore their capabilities. Gross motor activities allow them to take healthy risks in a controlled environment, helping them understand their physical limits. Attempting to dribble a basketball while running might seem daunting at first. With practice and encouragement, children build the courage to try—and succeed—at new challenges. This sense of adventure nurtures resilience and a growth mindset.
- Promoting Healthy, Active Living
In today’s digital age, encouraging children to engage in physical activities is more important than ever. Gross motor skill development provides a fun and engaging alternative to screen time. Games, obstacle courses, or even simple games like tag offer children opportunities to move, explore, and grow while giving the tech a break.
- Don’t forget the fun!
If it’s fun – they will come! And if they’re coming: they’re learning and growing. Gross and fine motor skill development will come naturally when our under eights take part in our Canada Basketball backed, Jr NBA program. When you strip the science away – we all know that finding joy in physical activity will pay dividends in many areas of life. Leave the curriculum and careful crafting of activities to us, it’s what we do best. Our only wish is for our littlest ballers to enjoy the session and ‘leave it all on the floor’! Let’s be honest, being able to introduce beginner athletes from Guelph to Oakville, and Hamilton to Burlington to our sport is a privilege, and one we take seriously. Handing out their first basketballs, distributing their reversibles and pairing them up with a teammate, just might be a gift that will start a life-long love of basketball. But if they decide that soccer or ballet is more their thing, we’re grateful to have been a part of the important business of childhood physical development, because that’s a life-long gift too.
