Oct 23, 2018
By Janet Ready, Instructor
Physical Literacy – Movement Preparation Workshop – Langara Recreation students
I’m poised and ready to go – the Langara gym is full of first and second year recreation students – I’m looking at the ladder on the gym floor and my brain is sending the message to my legs to do the Icky shuffle (right foot in first square, left foot in first square, right foot outside ladder to the right, left foot forward into second square)…..only my legs aren’t receiving the clear message and they are doing something a lot different than the Icky shuffle….
It’s a teachable moment about why we’re here participating in the Physical Literacy Movement Preparation workshop put on by Tom Walker for Canadian Sport for Life. This workshop focuses on incorporating and improving fundamental movement skills and fundamental sport skills into activity. It prepares the body for movement and enhances the way you move for short-term and long-term benefits. Movement Preparation improves the way you move, which reduces the risk of injury during physical activity. It also teaches skills that will benefit participation in unfamiliar activities.
The workshop has an online component that reviews the theory of physical literacy and movement preparation and then a hands-on component with a leader. The workshop is applicable for coaches, teachers and recreational leaders delivering sport programs to participants aged seven years and older.
Yue-Ching Cheng, faculty in the Recreation Studies Dept. organized this workshop for the recreation students and it is fun to learn together how important it is to prepare our bodies for movement and create a clearer brain to muscle connection so we are more effective in our movements. A shout out to my ladder group who all got the Icky shuffle and made it look easier than it was. I think I need my brain to leg muscle connection is a bit fuzzier than theirs.
For more information: http://physicalliteracy.ca/move-prep/