Youth Sport: Proceedings of the 6th Conference for youth sport in Bled, 6-9 December 2012

Development of voluntary control of movement begins in infancy and progresses into childhood as the child attains postural, locomotor and prehensile control. With the refinement of walking, control of locomotor and manipulative abilities improves so that a considerable amount of independent action is possible. These basic movement patterns are the foundation upon which other movements and combinations of movements are subsequently developed and refined. Movement is the substrate of physical activity, and there is increasing interest in relationships between proficiency in basic movement skills and habitual physical activity. Evidence indicates that motor skill instructional and physical activity interventions are associated with improvements in basic movement skills in children. By inference, improving the motor proficiency of young children has the potential to enhance levels of habitual physical activity. Motor coordination is also a predictor of physical activity during middle childhood.