Is there a simple solution to develop physical skills in kids?

Nipissing University
News Release

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Dr. Barbi Law is working on a simple solution to help all children develop their physical skills and confidence in their abilities, a solution that doesn’t involve registration fees, equipment costs or 6 a.m. practices, one that starts with a skill that every child has in spades: imagination.

An assistant professor in Nipissing University’s Bachelor of Physical Health and Education program, Law is using the tool of mental imagery, a common practice for elite athletes, and applying it to a physical education setting in elementary schools to determine its effect on learning gross motor skills and developing a child’s physical confidence.

Mental imagery basically involves an athlete imagining a specific environment or activity in which they are performing successfully, like throwing a touchdown pass. The athlete tries to fully engage in the image with all their senses and perform as they would like to perform in real life. The practice helps athletes see success, get motivated, control anxiety, set the stage for performance and learn sport skills and strategies.

Research shows that children who lag behind in motor skill development are less likely to participate in sports and physical activity as they age. Law will be helping elementary school aged children in physical education classes utilize mental imagery as a learning strategy that they can use to develop motor skills and enjoy physical activity throughout their lifetime.

“Elite athletes have been utilizing mental imagery for years to improve performance. Similarly, a trained sports psychology consultant can assist parents, coaches and young athletes to develop a personalized imagery program to improve success. The idea is that if a child can accurately imagine everything that goes into throwing a ball — the muscles used, how to aim, the throwing motion, how it feels and what success looks and feels like — then they have a greater likelihood of success when performing the physical act. That translates into confidence in their ability to throw a ball and they’ll be more likely to enjoy the experience,” said Law.

For her work, Law has received a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada worth $65,354 over three years. Law is the principal researcher in the project; there are two co-investigators: Dr. Craig Hall, from The University of Western Ontario and Dr. Jenny O, from California State University, East Bay.

Law’s research will be conducted within elementary school physical education classes in order to ensure that it will include children who aren’t already involved in organized sports, as well as those children who do play organized sports.

“My goal is that this research will give us a way to understand some of the strategies we can use to help children develop physical literacy those fundamental movement and sport skills that allow children to move confidently in a range of physical activity and sport situations,” said Law.

“That should help us move toward a more active and healthy society.”

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