Learn to Train | Boys = 9 – 12; Girls 8 – 11
Children at this stage are exposed to a wide range of movements that are suitable for many sports. This is the most important stage for accelerated learning of coordination, fundamental movement skill and fine motor control. Interestingly, the brain is primed for motor development, much like the development of language skills. We all can appreciate the difference in learning a language when young versus. as an adult. The neurological development reasons for why it is easier to learn when younger are the same reason why it is easier to develop motor skills at a younger age.
Key Development Goals from Canadian Sport For Life:
This is the most important stage for the development of sport specific skills as it is a period of accelerated learning of coordination and fine motor control. It is also a time when children enjoy practicing skills they learn and seeing their own improvement.
- It is still too early for specialization in late specialization sports. Although many children at this age will have developed a preference for one sport or another, for full athletic development they need to engage in a broad range of activities, playing at least 2-3 different sports.
- While competition is important, it is learning to compete that should be the focus – not winning. For best long-term results 70% of time in the sport should be spent in practice, with only 30% of the time spent on competition.
- This is an important time to work on flexibility.
- Develop endurance through games and relays.
Things to think about:
This is the time to develop and refine all fundamental movement skills, and learn overall sport skills. The brain is nearing adult size and complexity and is capable of very refined skill performance. Late developers (those who enter puberty later than their peers) have an advantage when it comes to learning skills as the Learn to Train stage lasts longer for them.
By this age children have developed clear ideas about the sports they like and in which they feel they have success, and this should be encouraged. The focus should be on playing at least 2-3 sports in different seasons. Focusing only on one sport year round should be discouraged.
Physical Literacy Activites
- Continue to encourage children to engage in unstructured physical play with their friends every day, regardless of the weather.
- Enroll children in minor sport programs each season, and have them try different positions or events – they might find something they are very good at that was unexpected.
- Encourage children to take every opportunity to play different sports at school, during physical education classes, intramurals or on school teams if their school has them.
- Try to have children take part in some land-based, some water-based and some snow/ice based activities.
- Keep children working on flexibility, speed, endurance and strength. For strength activities they should use their own body weight, Swiss balls or medicine balls – not heavy weights.
- Keep sport and physical activity FUN.
