By Dr. Johann Issartel
Our recent studies with over 2,000 Irish children aged five to 12 show some startling results: one in four cannot run properly, half cannot kick a ball properly, and fewer than one in five can throw a ball. Conducted at Dublin City University (DCU)—and echoed in studies by colleagues around the globe—this underscores a growing concern about children’s fundamental movement skills (FMS), which are the building blocks of more complex and advanced movements.
Fundamental Movement Skills at Risk
These core skills include running, jumping, catching, kicking, throwing, and balancing. Children should ideally master them by the age of eight, yet the study found many haven’t acquired them by ten. When children can’t perform these skills confidently, they’re more likely to feel self-conscious, experience failure in physically active situations, and disengage from physical activity and sports—not just in childhood, but across their life course.
By age 12, only 53% of the children in the study had mastered locomotor skills (like running and skipping), 55% had mastered object-control skills (such as catching and throwing), and 61% had achieved mastery or near-mastery in balance. This is made even more concerning given that children have the capacity to master all skills by the age of 8.
Gender Differences and Possible Explanations
Interestingly, we are still seeing some old assumptions at play. Boys showed greater proficiency in ball skills like throwing and catching, while girls scored higher in balance and skipping. One explanation is that girls often have more exposure to activities like gymnastics and dance, whereas boys are more likely to engage in sports like rugby or soccer. However, girls and boys both participate heavily in Gaelic games, suggesting that providing more varied opportunities could help bridge the gap.
Changing Play Habits and the Rise of Screen Time
Compounding these issues are dramatic shifts in how children play. Opportunities for self-generated play and spontaneous street games are taking a back seat to screen-based activities. Children now average 6 hours of screen time each day, which directly reduces the time available for active, outdoor play. In many neighborhoods, the older kids who once acted as role models—playing street games, teaching younger children new skills, and demonstrating how to navigate physical challenges—have all but disappeared. Instead, children are increasingly learning which digital games to play and connecting with their friends over Wi-Fi from their living rooms, rather than meeting in person on sidewalks and playgrounds.
Why It Matters
If children don’t gain a strong foundation in FMS by a certain age, it can negatively impact their inclination to stay active. As I often emphasise, “If the current generation of children can’t throw and catch in basic situations, why would they choose to play if they aren’t good at it? They’ll say, ‘It’s not fun,’ and if it’s not fun, they won’t play.”
A solid base of fundamental skills is essential for children to feel confident exploring different sports and physical activities. This confidence fuels participation, which in turn helps tackle issues like childhood obesity and low fitness levels.
The Wider Impact: Physical and Mental Health
Physical activity in childhood lays the groundwork for lifelong habits. Regular exercise supports healthy growth, lowers the risk of chronic conditions, and even improves mental well-being. Recent national surveys have highlighted a rise in anxiety among young people, pointing to the important role of physical exercise in reducing stress and improving mental health.
Conclusion
These findings serve as a wake-up call for parents, educators, coaches, and policymakers. While school-based interventions and enrolling kids in sports or afterschool activities are a great start, we need to make sure that we have a good understanding of where children are in the development to make sure we challenge them at their level, ensuring a positive experience and not one that drives them further away from being active. We also need to meet children where they are—in their digital worlds. Technology can be part of the solution by creating interactive, movement-based digital experiences that capture children’s interest while reinforcing their fundamental movement skills.
By harnessing the affordances of technology—such as motion-tracking sensors, augmented reality, and other engaging digital tools—we can help children develop the building blocks of physical literacy at their own level, even when traditional playgrounds or role models are not accessible. The goal should be to give kids every possible way to master the basics of movement and discover the joy, confidence, and lifelong benefits of staying physically active.
Behan, S., Belton, S., Peers, C., O’Connor, N. E., & Issartel, J. (2019). Moving well-being well: Investigating the maturation of fundamental movement skill proficiency across sex in Irish children aged five to twelve. Journal of Sports Sciences, 37(22), 2604–2612. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2019.1651144
Barnett, T. A., Kelly, A. S., Young, D. R., Perry, C. K., Pratt, C. A., Edwards, N. M., Rao, G., & Vos, M. B. (2018). Sedentary behaviors in today’s youth: Approaches to the prevention and management of childhood obesity: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation, 138(11). https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000591
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