ABSTRACT
Cooper and Trnka defined gymnastics as ‘physical activity of any kind’ (1994: 1). Gymnastics is one of the foremost activities for developing physical literacy. To become physically literate, pupils need to master fundamental movement skills. Some activities only focus on a limited number of dominant movements, but gymnastics develops a wide variety, all of which can transfer to other activities. Agility, balance, co-ordination and speed (the ABCs of athleticism) are the fundamental movement skills that are the cornerstones of all physical activity. They are key to every activity that is undertaken. Gymnastics assists with the development of correct posture and can contribute to a pupil’s general strength and core stability whilst increasing flexibility, enhancing their range of movement, therefore enhancing the movement potential. Gymnastics teaches the body to react to constant changes in direction and speeds, through jumping, falling and flying, all actions perfectly natural to the inquisitive and explorative mind of a pupil. If these fundamental movement patterns are acquired at an early age, natural physical literacy will allow for the growth of pupils who are eager to engage in physical activity, who are confident to perform with control and fluency, and who continue to seek enjoyment and fun in sport long after their education has finished.
