Motor skills are the foundation of athletics. You can be spend all the time in the world developing strength, size and power, but if you haven’t developed your motor skills, then you will not be an athlete.

   

    In Stage one, simple & broad learning set the foundation for the rest of your life. During this time, the more sports you play & learn, the better you will become at all of them. This is not the time to become in expert in one, rather it’s the time to become a “jack of all traits.”

   

    In Stage two, you can begin to add some complexity to your skills by doing more difficult versions of the basics you learned in stage one. This is the stage that can really separate you if done correctly. Generally considered, stage two is between 11-14. This is the age where you first start to get faster, smarter & stronger. It is also a great age to play without coaches. Just playing with friends can really go a long way in developing skills & fun for athletics.

   

    In Stage three, the game starts to get a bit more serious. Motor skills are expected to be at a certain level so that, during this stage, you can begin to progress rapidly. Also during this stage, broader development starts to trade places with sports specific development as the largest part of your motor skill time. Do not make the mistake, however, of eliminating motor skill development in all categories still, as this would effect you negatively on so many levels.

  

     In Stage four, a high level of skill is required to continue competing. Broad development is still important, yet the primary time and effort go to specific sport skill development. This puts broad development less serious, more of a way to get away from the constant work of your chosen sport.

   

    In Stage five, skill development is extremely specific and done as a full time job usually. Mastery of skills goes hand in hand with your chosen sport and the tactical development of that sport. Broad motor skills become important to keep the athlete healthy in basic movement patterns and to counterbalance the physical and mental strain of your sport.