Physical Literacy Key Terms

Physical Literacy

“Physical literacy is the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge, and understanding to value and take responsibility for engagement in physical activities for life.”
– The International Physical Literacy Association, May 2014

Fundamental Movement Skills

The building blocks of movement. – The Coaching Association of Canada

  • Running
  • Jumping
  • Throwing
  • Catching
  • Wheeling
  • Skipping
  • Hopping
  • Agility
  • Balance
  • Coordination
  • Leaping
  • Kicking
  • Striking
  • …and many more

ABC’s of Physical Literacy

The ABCs of physical literacy are Agility, Balance, Coordination and Speed.  There are the fundamental movement skills that contribute to a person’s overall physical development and ability to engage in various physical activities.  

Sport Specialization

Sport specialization refers to the process by which an individual focuses their time and effort on a single sport or activity to the exclusion of others. It often involves intense training and practice in a specific sport from a young age with the goal of achieving a high level of performance. While specialization can lead to expertise and success in a particular sport, it can also come with potential risks, such as overuse injuries, burnout, and a lack of exposure to a variety of movement skills and activities.

LTD (Long-Term Development)

Long-Term Development is a multi-stage training, competition and recovery pathway guiding an individual’s experience in sport and physical activity from infancy through all phases of adulthood.

-Sport for Life

Meaningful Competition

  • is designed to support what has been practiced in training,
  • is modified in terms of game duration, size of playing area, and rules to match developmental of participants,
  • offers equal competition opportunities by keeping participants in events rather than eliminating them (A finals, B finals, C finals, round robins, and cross-overs),
  • in early stages, focuses on the process of competing and using recently learned skills in competitive situations—not on results, and
  • is in the “challenge zone”—not too difficult or too easy, resulting in close competition without blowouts or humiliating defeats, and cuts down on travel time and cost.

-Sport for Life, LTD 3.0

Resources

Sport Specialization in Young Athletes – The National Sports Medicine Institute- https://www.nationalsportsmed.com/sports-specialization/#:~:text=What%20is%20Sports%20Specialization%3F,a%20single%20sport%20year%2Dround.

Sport for Life, LTD 3.0, What is Physical Literacy

https://physicalliteracy.ca/services-view/awareness/

Sport for Life, LTD 3.0

https://sportforlife.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Long-Term-Development-in-Sport-and-Physical-Activity-3.0.pdf

Coaching Association of Canada, Long-Term Athletic Development for Parents

https://coach.ca/sites/default/files/2020-02/CAC_7516A_11_LTAD_English_Brochure_FINAL.pdf

Active for Life, The ABC’s of Physical Literacyhttps://activeforlife.com/abcs-of-physical-literacy/