Kids’ Physical Skills: Finding Right System

Understanding a child’s physical and mental skills – then, finding sports to match. This is Dr. Steven Andrew Davis, Speaking of Health.

Experts call them “closed” or “open” system sports. Closed system sports are ones where activity conditions are fairly constant and there are not a whole lot of decisions to make. Walking and running are examples of closed system sports; and so is swimming. In a swimming competition the object is to cross the pool as fast as possible. You don’t have to judge the speed of an approaching ball; or decide which teammate to throw it to; or whether to shoot or pass.

Young children tend to adapt better to closed system sports than to open ones. Children, up to about age 10, do not have fully integrated relationship between their eyes, arms, and legs – and their brains. In another closed system sport, like gymnastics, the focus can be undiluted by a multitude of other factors. In an open system sport, however, like baseball or basketball, the variables are many. Is the ball coming, and how fast; do I run or not; and now that I am being challenged by another player what do I do? In an open system sport the burden of mental decisions takes away from the child’s need to concentrate on fundamental skills like running or jumping.

To apply these principles to your kids or grand kids you don’t need to be a pediatric exercise physiologist. Just watch the child participate in several sports and, if it becomes clear that the variables are too overwhelming, move him or her into a closed system where the goals are straight-forward and attainable. For a copy of the script, visit our web site, speakingofhealth.com. Speaking of Health, I’m Dr. Steven Andrew Davis for CBS News.