Physical Literacy A main area of emphasis in the first stages of the Tennis Canada Long Term Athlete Development model is the development of physical literacy. This is critical for the overall enjoyment of tennis and sport in general but also for development of our top players. Throughout the document, it is has been identified that developing overall athleticism and fundamental movement, motor and sport skills is a priority in the first three LTAD stages (Active Start, Fundamentals and Developing). What is Physical Literacy? The learning and practice of fundamental movement skills is the basic building block for the development of physical literacy. Similarly, learning the alphabet and phonics are the fundamental skills needed to eventually read Shakespeare. Likewise, identifying numbers and learning to add and subtract are the fundamental skills needed to eventually balance a cheque-book. The development of fundamental movement skills, and fundamental sport skills, is critical if children are to feel confident when they engage in physical activity for fun and for health, or for competition and the pursuit of excellence. “Physical literacy gives children the tools they need to take part in physical activity and sport, both for healthy life-long enjoyment and for sporting success; and is a key component of Canada’s Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) program.”
Many children and youth withdraw from physical activity and sport and turn to more inactive and/or unhealthy choices during their leisure time. (Higgs, Balyi and Way, 2008)
Fundamental Movement Skills To become physically literate, children need to master fundamental movement skills, but this mastery does not come all at once, and we need to remember that children are not just “adults in miniature.” For almost every skill, the developing child needs to go through a series of developmental stages. The goal should be to help each child move to the next stage of the skill they are learning, rather than pushing them to perform the skill the way an adult would.
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For more information on Raise the Net, the LTAD and other useful resources, please visit tennisontario.com
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