“Children should do multiple sports”

Children should practise a variety of sports rather than devoting their efforts to a single one in order to fully develop their motor skills, according to Job Fransen of Ghent University, who found that children were better able to develop basic motor skills through a variety of movement and recommends that children aged between six and 12 learn skills like climbing, rolling, running and catching. “Too many children now focus on one sport that they like,” said Fransen. “This results in a narrow movement repertoire, making it harder to successfully master other sport skills.” The research confirms the necessity of Flemish initiatives like Multimove, a project between Flemish minister of sport Philippe Muyters, the sport sector and universities, which encourages the motor development of children aged between three and eight through varied activities.