1. Ian Stafford Hutton Park Consulting
The Importance of Multi-Skills and Athleticism in Child Development England Athletics May 2012
Ian Stafford
Hutton Park Consulting

2. The Cunning Plan Terminology – talk a common language
Explore how children develop – start from the child NOT the sport!
Review the multi-skills approach
Figure out what athleticism entails
Bring it all together
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3. TERMINOLOGY getting on the same page
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4. Multi-Skills Multi-skills coaching aims to develop children’s:
Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS)
Fundamental Sport Skills (FSS)
Key characteristic :
Generic in nature focusing on foundational skills that can be developed subsequently into more sport-specific techniques and skills
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5. Terminology Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS)
Development of balance, co-ordination and agility (FoM)
Development of core skills that underpin most sports e.g. running/travelling, jumping, twisting, turning
Specific examples: holding controlled body position, generating force, changing pace, running to meet an object
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6. Terminology Fundamental Sports Skills (FSS)
Development of generic sports skills e.g. throwing, catching, striking, kicking
Basic skills of games, athletics, gymnastics and aquatics
Specific examples: sprinting, throwing/sending skills, dodging opponents, adopting ready position, arriving at and kicking a ball
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7. CHILD DEVELOPMENT
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8. Children’s Development
Physically
Cognitively
Psychologically
Socially
Emotionally
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9. The Whole Child Developmental pathways are inextricably linked
Unrealistic and unhelpful to think of any one pathway developing independently of the others
Teachers and Coaches need to understand children and how they develop
Coaches need to be able to identify individual development - talented/gifted, similar to most peers; difficulties
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10. Physical Development Physical growth - getting bigger
Physiological systems – getting better
Movement skills and associated processes - getting better
Associated processes – visual acuity, info processing and decision making, body awareness, spatial awareness
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11. Importance of FMS
Many key life, play and school skills dependent on good body awareness, coordination, and spatial awareness
Being good physically is seen as high status by children
Link between body image, confidence and self-esteem
Foundation for many sport-specific skills – lifelong participation and activity and better performances
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12. MULTI-SKILLS APPROACH
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13. Multi-Skills Approach
Link to notion of variability of practice
Particularly important for children
General agreement that broad and balanced experience is best for children
Early specialism linked to problems – but necessary for early specialism sports
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14. Multi-Skills Approach
Not new in terms of principles and processes
Good primary physical education has been doing it for years
Issue with the variability of physical education teaching in primary schools – linked to initial teacher education
Increase in number of coaches working in schools
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15. Multi-Skills and Athletics
Athletics is a multi-skill sport – running, jumping and throwing
A good athletics experience will be broader and more balanced than most other single sport experiences
Athletics – relatively easy to:
include all abilities
focus on personal goals, achievement
and progress
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16. ATHLETICISM
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17. Athleticism Being fit and skilled OR
‘the ability to use a variety of motor abilities (strength, power, speed, agility, coordination, stability, balance, etc.) to effectively and efficiently perform a wide variety of sporting actions." (
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18. Athleticism
‘Without a doubt, one of the most commonly misunderstood subjects today in the world of athletic training and development is athleticism’.
How do you feel about this statement?
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19. Hutton Park Consulting

20. Athleticism Balance Coordination Agility Speed Cardiovascular fitness
Power
Flexibility
Endurance
Reaction
Stability
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21. BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER
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22. Coaching and Teaching Children Curriculum
Children’s sport has a much bigger role to play than just improving physical, technical, tactical and mental skills
Coaching and Teaching the Whole Child – developing areas traditionally linked to sports coaching and using them as a vehicle for personal and social development
The two areas are inextricably linked as opposed to mutually exclusive
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23. Coaching and Teaching Children Curriculum
Effective coaching is the integrated application of the coach’s knowledge and skill to fulfil the multiple outcomes and varying needs of all participants within a specific context
(adapted from Wade and Gilbert 2009)
Multiple outcomes – capabilities and needs
Physical
Technical
Tactical
Mental
Personal and Social
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24. Coaching and Teaching the Whole Child
The ‘C’ system (5Cs for coaching):
Confidence
Competence
Connection
Creativity
Character and caring
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25. Coaching and Teaching the Whole Child
The ‘learning muscles’ approach:
Resilience
Resourcefulness
Reflection
Relationships
(Claxton 2002)
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26. SUMMARY and ‘take away’ messages
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27. Multi-Skills Approach and Developing Athleticism
Combined with coaching the whole child, aligns with current thinking on:
Child development
Movement skill development
Educational principles
Sports coaching principles
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28. Multi-Skills Approach and Developing Athleticism
Benefits are wide-ranging
Being the best you can be
Developing good athletes and good people – vitally important and brings responsibilities
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29. Ian Stafford Hutton Park Consulting
The Importance of Multi-Skills and Athleticism in Child Development England Athletics May 2012
Ian Stafford
Hutton Park Consulting