Using A Game Sense Approach For Improving Fundamental Motor Skills

Children in a rural city in northern NSW were measured for efficiency level in the performance of five fundamental motor skills. Children (average age: 11 years) were assessed using the NSW Get Skilled Get Active skill checklist (2000). Based on the recommendation that 240-600 minutes of instructional time is required to master one skill, (NSW Get Skilled Get Active 2000: 79) a 'needs based' selection process was instigated to take one skill and provide remedial intervention using a games sense approach. Soccer was the sport of choice of the students and therefore the kick was the priority skill for this group to improve. The pre-test scores revealed zero students at the mastery level for the kick and one student was at the near mastery level. The games sense approach was selected, to maintain high motivation and to test the efficacy of this approach. More specifically, the children were involved in two lessons of 45 minutes for six weeks (540 minutes), which focused on the skills associated with soccer. Post test results showed various improvements in the level of mastery performance of the kick. Implication of this research include the teaching strategies employed to increase fundamental motor skill proficiency.