Fundamental Movement Skills
Fundamental movement skills are the building blocks of physical literacy.
These skills are usually broken down into three overarching categories:
The following games will help your students develop their FMS skills in fun, active learning environments.
These skills are usually broken down into three overarching categories:
- Locomotor (e.g. running, skipping, jumping)
- Non-locomotor (e.g. balances and shapes)
- Manipulative (e.g. throwing, catching, kicking, striking).
The following games will help your students develop their FMS skills in fun, active learning environments.
Skill Phases
Most skills can be divided into three phases:
The Preparatory Phase
The preparatory phase involves movements that get the player ready for the force-producing movements in the execution phase. For example, the base of support.
The Execution Phase (including Wind-up and Force Phase)
The execution phase can be divided into two parts:
The Follow-Through Phase
The follow-through refers to the body movements occurring after the execution phase. This phase is where the movement slows down after impact and the player prepares for the next action. For example, where to positiong yourself after the shot. The follow-through is important in slowing the body parts down over a longer period of time, absorbing the forces produced and helping to prevent injuries. Coaches should be aware that all three of these movement phases are equally important to a successful skill performance. For example, close observation of the preparatory or follow-through phase will often provide the coach with excellent clues about the effectiveness of the execution phase and the cause of a poor performance.
- The preparatory phase
- The execution phase
- The follow-through phase
The Preparatory Phase
The preparatory phase involves movements that get the player ready for the force-producing movements in the execution phase. For example, the base of support.
The Execution Phase (including Wind-up and Force Phase)
The execution phase can be divided into two parts:
- The force-producing movements the players make to produce force for the impact or propulsion, for example, the swing of the racquet
- The "critical instant" is the point of contact (or the release) of the movement, for example, the moment of contact in a swing. This is the point that determines the effectiveness of the skill.
The Follow-Through Phase
The follow-through refers to the body movements occurring after the execution phase. This phase is where the movement slows down after impact and the player prepares for the next action. For example, where to positiong yourself after the shot. The follow-through is important in slowing the body parts down over a longer period of time, absorbing the forces produced and helping to prevent injuries. Coaches should be aware that all three of these movement phases are equally important to a successful skill performance. For example, close observation of the preparatory or follow-through phase will often provide the coach with excellent clues about the effectiveness of the execution phase and the cause of a poor performance.