What is Coordination?

Coordination is a visual perceptual-motor skill, that requires the ability of the eyes to recognize and understand objects around us in relation to our bodies; while the muscles, joints, and body moves and responds to this information in a controlled and appropriate manner, known as gross motor coordination.

Storing, retrieving and processing this information allows the eyes to accurately guide the movement and placement of the feet / hands when performing tasks with the legs and feet / arms and hands, from kicking and dribbling a ball to catching and throwing.

Why Is Ball Play Important?

It is vital to get children excited about being active from an early age to prepare them for a healthy life, as well as to help them develop better bone and muscle structure while functioning better in every aspect of their lives. Enjoying physical activity and ball play boosts the immune system and improves the quality of sleep, which most parents will welcome!

Ball play should be a part of every child’s routine to assist with the development of balance and to gain an understanding of where their limbs are and how they move leading to better and more complicated coordination abilities.

Balance and coordination are important for children to jump, climb and play sports.

What are the benefits of Ball Play?
 

Balls are an excellent choice for developing and strengthening motor skills. It helps children grow stronger, and develops the muscles they need to run, jump, and hop higher and faster.

As they gain greater motor skills through ball play, children move more easily and developmental delays can often be avoided.  They also gain more self-confidence as they experience the thrill of overcoming old boundaries and challenges.
 

Timing is hugely important in many aspects of life… even when it comes to the thought and skill processes needed to cross a road! Ball play such as learning to dribble, or catch and throw a ball, requires the child to develop the important skill of timing.
 

After hours of ball play and drills, children will learn to anticipate which way a ball will bounce, in which direction, and how quickly a ball will roll; this will develop their cognitive skills and retentive memory.
 

Knowing how much strength is needed to throw or kick a ball is not easy for children. But with plenty of practice and building of muscle strength, they will learn how to apply and control the right amount of force at the right time. This skill will help them avoid accidents!
 

Ball play teaches kids fair play through sharing, cooperation, patience and tolerance.
 

Every time a child uses one foot to cross over to the other side of the body while kicking, they’re crossing their midline, which is one of the essential building blocks of coordination.
 

Every time you tilt your head ear fluid helps us maintain balance. When looking down to kick a ball, or up to catch one, balance is strengthened. This paves the way for more complex motor tasks.

Children with poor balance and motor skill abilities often appear uncoordinated, perform tasks with poor rhythm and timing, and are not able to control the way their bodies move and respond. Good balance is critical for the development of our perceptual motor abilities, and therefore our coordination.