Raw physical attributes and performance in junior competition are not good predictors of future success (at least until late adolescence once growth curves even out). Technical skills, tactical awareness and character traits are generally more reflective of future potential in young performers. Beyond the specialist skills of the sport, more evolved talent ID and development systems are also starting to recognise the value of general movement proficiency or athleticism. As with skills and character, these qualities are less biased by the transient influence of growth and maturation, making them a much more reliable indicator of future potential (as well as a crucial asset) regardless of the sport. From the aspiring performer’s perspective, developing athleticism is therefore a very good investment in the future.
SAMPLING VERSUS SPECIALISATION…
Many authorities advocate against early specialisation in youth sports; that is, participating in one sport to the exclusion of others. One of the central benefits ascribed to the alternative, which is described as sampling is in developing transferable athletic skills as result of participating in a variety of sports and activities. It is argued that this renders the performer more adaptable, more resilient to injury and ultimately allows them to perform better in their chosen sport.
However, the reality is that in certain sports involvement from an early age is important for later success and the logistics of balancing school and sport often mean that continuing to participate in multiple sports simply isn’t viable. Another danger is that attempting to juggle multiple sports does not leave any time to engage in any structured physical preparation (or indeed a social life). This is particularly problematic for young females given the necessity of physical and athletic preparation in this population specifically. Playing and practising too much and training too little arguably poses as much risk of injury and burnout as participating excessively in only one sport.
Nonetheless, athleticism is a major asset for young performers in all sports. A superior level of general motor proficiency benefits the performer directly via the edge it gives them in competition and also indirectly by supporting their overall development as we will explore. So rather than continue to contest the specialisation versus sampling argument, the question should perhaps become how do we ensure that young performers develop global athletic skills in practice and training irrespective of what sport they are involved with?
But to start at the beginning, what do we mean by global motor skills?
DEFINING GLOBAL MOTOR PROFICIENCY AND ATHLETICISM…
A variety of protocols exist to assess global motor proficiency and these have been employed to both identify talent and direct youngsters towards the sport that best suits their attributes. The battery of tests include assessments of balance, fundamental movement skill competencies, ‘object control’ (such as dribbling a ball) and a variety of locomotion skills in different postures and directions.
Broadly, these tools seek to evaluate body awareness and motor control, the ability of the performer to move their body through space and negotiate obstacles, and dexterity in manipulating external objects. Pictured below is my own attempt to define the abilities that comprise athleticism:
Reprinted with permission from Informed: The Art of the Science of Preparing Athletes, published in 2018 by Informed in Sport publishing
FINDING THE BEST ENVIRONMENT FOR DEVELOPING PERFORMERS…
Irrespective of the sport, young performers benefit from a balanced and varied diet of activities during practice sessions. Parents should seek out teams and coaches that focus on developing the general capacities and capabilities that the foundations for superior performance in the future. In the long run this will yield better results than being too concerned about short-term results in competition and narrowly focussing on repetitive and highly sport-specific preparation during practice.
It is not only possible to provide the necessary variety within a single sport but it also develops better performers within that sport as a result. A diverse array of activities and different challenges not only makes for more adaptable performers but also ultimately improves their level of game sense and tactical problem-solving.
Let’s consider an example from football (soccer for those in North America). Ajax Amsterdam is arguably the most famous football academy is professional football. As has become customary in professional football, Ajax recruits players from an early age; however, one of their unique innovations was to routinely rotate academy players to play different positions on the field. Historically, this practice has continued right up until players reach senior level. For many years the Ajax academy produced more elite players not only for their own club but for other top professional teams (and the national team) than any other academy in professional football.
INDEPENDENT TRAINING TO DEVELOP ATHLETIC SKILLS…
Beyond attending class, it is customary for conscientious students to invest time doing homework and in many instances enlist a tutor to engage in outside learning after the school day ends. It would make sense for aspiring young performers to adopt a similar attitude to their athletic development.
Beyond choosing the right environment and diligently attending practice sessions, there is an onus on the young performer to invest time in working on critical elements in their own time. We tend to do this with sport skills, however it is often overlooked when it comes to athletic skills. This seems especially odd given that these activities encompass a far greater proportion of the time on the field or court in many sports.
There is good evidence that neuromuscular training comprising various forms of balance training and movement skills development is effective in improving global motor proficiency in young performers. The focus for these studies is generally safeguarding against injury but there are also demonstrable performance benefits. And returning to the theme we opened with, these capabilities are increasingly part of what coaches are looking for when it comes to talent identification and selection.
Another indirect benefit of investing time in developing global athleticism is that it supports sports skills. Those with better general movement proficiency also acquire sport skills more easily. This stands to reason: possessing greater body awareness and general movement dexterity will lend itself to being more proficient in learning new motor skills and getting the feel for sport skills movements.
Of course performers who possess superior athleticism are also better able to express their technical and tactical skills under game scenarios. For instance, the racquet sports player who is able to move to the ball quicker, get into a better position to play the shot and remain balanced not only has a greater array of options but also a better chance of executing the shot successfully.
IN CLOSING…
There are considerable long-term rewards for aspiring young performers willing to invest the time and effort in developing their general movement proficiency and the various dimensions of athleticism. Whilst it pays to be a specialist when it comes to the skills of the sport, performers benefit from being a generalist when it comes to movement skills. Performers and those who support them should recognise the value in seeking to become an athletic virtuoso in the context of their chosen sport (whatever that proves to be).
Beyond regularly engaging in training to develop relevant qualities on a regular basis, every aspiring young performer would benefit from being exposed to activities from track and field athletics (run, jump, throw) and gymnastics, irrespective of the fact it may not resemble their chosen sport at first glance!
Readers who are interested can enquire to find out more about what support and coaching provision we can offer for those local to Vancouver, as well as remote coaching options for those further afield. For more, including how to arrange an initial assessment, see the ‘Enquire’ link at the top of the page or email us direct at PreparedATH@gmail.com.
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Thanks also to all those who have shared feedback on the recent release Prepared: Unlocking Human Performance with Lessons from Elite Sport (click on the image below for details).
