Children and teenagers share a natural desire to experience and display motor proficiency. They yearn to prove that their muscles are able to meet tough challenges and be attractive and impressive to the outside world of peers, parents, coaches, and siblings. By participating successfully in sports, children elevate their self-esteem while deriving a positive body image. For some students, motor mastery is readily achieved; for others, triumphs on the playing field may be few and far between and appear unattainable. Athletic success or failure depends on a collection of brain controls and brain-to-muscle connections that determine a child's gross motor effectiveness.

The Components of Motor Output
Motor output is complex, combining multiple collaborating components. First, a child has to decide to move his muscles for a specific purpose (such as trying to kick a football). Then instantaneously he needs to picture or preview what he's trying to accomplish (e.g., picturing dribbling around that other player and scoring a basket or hitting the golf ball in the middle of the fairway). Next he needs to consult his motor memory and recall the chain of specific muscle movements needed to accomplish the goal he is picturing. He also must take in any relevant information about his current surroundings (such as where the other player and the ball are, how far he is from the basket, etc.). Then the motor act can be implemented, a step that requires the brain to assign particular muscles to different parts of the task and get them moving with the right timing. Once that happens, "all systems are go," and purposeful movement takes place. The child then engages in ongoing monitoring to determine where his body is at each instant, whether outside conditions have changed and what kind of adjustments are needed. Quite often some very rapid problem solving skills come into play as well, especially when something unexpected occurs. The steps we have described must occur at a remarkably rapid rate, and, over time, they should become increasingly automatic.

Differences Between Sports
Sports contrast widely in the specific motor connections they require. Some activities like baseball and tennis necessitate astute processing of data from out in space (such as when tracking the location of a moving ball you're trying to catch or swat). Other sports entail more processing of internal information. While swimming there is a need to keep track of where your own muscles and joints are at all times. The same kind of body feedback plays a role in ballet, jumping rope, gymnastics, and skiing. Some athletic pursuits demand what are called static abilities, meaning the same muscles need to operate in exactly the same manner each time (such as in bowling), while other sports require dynamic abilities, meaning muscles need constant modification to meet changing conditions (such as in soccer). Sports also vary in the complexity and amount of motor memory needed. Some sports have very simple muscle movements to remember where others are more complex. There are also differences in the level of verbal communication and intense social interaction that occurs in particular sports. There is very little verbal communication during a tennis match, but teammates and coaches talk throughout a football game.

Ability at Sports
Because of these wide contrasts between athletic activities, children may differ with regard to the sports in which they can and cannot find success. For example, a child with spatial problems may have problems playing baseball or volleyball but be excellent at several track events. Some kids have trouble implementing complex motor acts and would be better off performing a sport that is relatively static in its motor patterns. Frequently students with language difficulties shy away from team athletics where there tends to be a heavy flow of language input from coaches and fellow players. They may prefer individual sports (like golf and bowling). Children with attention deficits may drop out of sports in which there is considerable delay of gratification (such as occurs in baseball and cricket) or repetitious practice. Observant adults may be able to match a particular child with a sport in which she is most likely to savor success.

The Toll of Gross Motor Dysfunction
Children who have gross motor problems may come to feel inferior to their athletically gratified peers. This is especially the case when a student has learning problems combined with signs of gross motor dysfunction. These kids long for motor mastery and it is important to help them find it. They should try to specialize and become proficient in one sport that fits with their strengths and sidesteps their deficiencies. Along the way, all kids need adult protection against public humiliation in front of their classmates. They should never be ridiculed or actively rejected as a result of their gross motor dysfunctions. If a child is going to look inept and absurd climbing ropes in gym class, she should not do so in front of other children. That's just cruel, and it could inflict a permanent scar on a developing psyche!

Motor Gratification for All
Some children with motor dysfunctions can participate in sports by becoming managers, assistant coaches and team statisticians. Others may need to find motor gratification in non-athletic areas by playing the cello, engaging in ceramics, or building forts. In one way or another, every student should have the satisfaction of displaying some worthy muscle accomplishments, exhibiting a gross motor system that can achieve great things and earn authentic praise.

Click here to read about strategies for students who struggle with Motor Mastery