Is Your Child The Next Sporting Superstar?

Why Movement Fundamentals Matter More Than Early Sporting Success

When you watch your child scoring their first goal or hitting their first tennis ball, it’s easy to dream big. Maybe this is the start of something great? After all, we’ve all heard stories of sporting legends who showed signs of greatness from a young age. 

Maybe they’re the next Serena Williams or Tiger Woods? Williams started playing tennis aged four and Tiger Woods swung his first golf club as a toddler. So yes, some natural talent matters.

But that’s only part of the story.

The bigger picture is this: no matter how gifted your child is, they won’t reach their potential unless they first master the fundamental movements that underpin all sports. Without this foundation, early promise often fades, or worse, leads to injury, frustration, and burnout.

What Are Fundamental Movement Skills?

Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) are the building blocks of all physical activity. They include:

• Locomotor skills like running, jumping, crawling, skipping.

• Object control skills like throwing, catching, kicking, striking, gripping.

• Stability skills like balancing, twisting, turning, stopping.

  
  

Put simply, they’re how the body moves and controls itself in space and in relation to objects.

And they matter because they form the base layer for every sport. Whether your child wants to play football, rugby, gymnastics or cricket, these basic movement patterns come first.

Why Not Specialise Early?

It’s tempting to push a child toward a particular sport early. After all, isn’t starting young how you become great?

Not exactly.

A child’s brain and muscles simply aren’t mature enough to master sport-specific techniques safely or effectively until they're about 9 years old. Trying to teach complex skills (like a perfect tennis serve or a flawless football strike) before they’ve nailed the fundamentals is like teaching algebra before they’ve learned to count.

Instead, children need lots of variety - climbing, rolling, swinging, throwing, catching, chasing - so their bodies develop and continue to master, the full range of coordination, strength, balance, and agility they’ll later use in their chosen sport when they're a teen.

This approach not only prevents injuries but also improves long-term performance. When movement becomes second nature, skills in any sport come faster, easier, and with less frustration. Their body already “knows” what to do.

The Real Cost of Skipping the Basics

Missing out on these foundation skills isn’t just a disadvantage on the sports field. It can shape a child’s confidence, social life, and future health.

Here’s why:

1. Playground exclusion: Kids gravitate toward playmates who can “keep the game going.” If a child can’t throw, catch, or run like their friends, they may get left out. Repeated exclusion damages confidence, makes play less enjoyable, and can lead to avoiding sport altogether.

2. Limited sport choices: Without fundamental skills, many sports stay out of reach. Children who struggle early may give up trying new activities, missing out on healthy hobbies for life.

3. Blocked sporting potential: Even the most naturally gifted child won’t reach their best without mastering movement first. Skipping the basics makes sporting excellence less likely, not more.

   
   

Getting the Sequence Right

For children to succeed, whether playing for fun or competing for medals, the path is clear:

1. Master fundamental movement skills first

2. Then, learn fundamental sport skills (like dribbling, serving, passing)

3. Finally, specialise in sport-specific techniques

   
   

When this sequence is followed, kids stay engaged, enjoy the process, and build confidence. Participation matters far more than competition at this stage. Early sport should be fun, varied, positive and filled with both structured and unstructured activity.

The Bigger Picture: Giving Kids Options for Life

Teaching your child movement fundamentals doesn’t just make them better at football, tennis, or gymnastics. It gives them options - to play any sport, join any game, try any activity they choose as they grow.

It keeps them moving for life, not just for a season.

So, before you book those extra shooting lessons or private coaching sessions, ask yourself: does my child know how to run, jump, throw, balance, swing, and stop properly?

Because without these basics, even the brightest spark can burn out too soon.