Fundamental movement skills and fundamental games skills are complementary pairs and should be taught in complementary ways at all stages of skill development

Abstract

When observing skill and determining the competency of children and youth physical education teachers often focus on the coordination dynamics within the individual in the early years and then the individual's ability to play the game as they develop. But in these game contexts the focus is often still on the individuals' actions and not the relational dynamics that exist between individuals. This article questions why we give priority to the fundamental movement skills (FMS) in the early years and game skills in late childhood and youth years. Drawing on the notion of complementary pairs, which questions binary logic, the article advocates a practical pedagogy that recognises the complementary relationship between FMS and fundamental game skills (FGS). Complementary pairing is designated by the squiggle (∼) character as opposed to a hyphen (–), which links the two components or backslash (/) that separates them to show the different but inextricable relationship between the pair. In this case FMS∼FGS are recognised as being different but inextricably related.