UK Coaching: Encouraging Safe Variability and Versatility in Movement with the Athletic Skills Model (ASM)

The Athletic Skills Model (ASM) provides coaches with a framework to think about skilful movement across the lifespan, encompassing transfer of learning theories, a concentric and holistic approach, and creating challenging environments.

The ASM aims to support the planning, design and implementation of structured programmes that focus on developing versatile movers in a non-linear concentric approach. The scientific evidence underpinning the ASM highlights how optimal performance, development and improved health and well-being can be achieved through a holistic approach.

By Dr Martina Navarro^1,2 & Alex Beckey^1,3

¹ The Athletic Skills Model UK

² University of Portsmouth

³ St Mary’s University

ASM Building Blocks

The ASM consists of three building blocks to develop adaptable and versatile movers. It’s an integrative approach that develops physical literacy, motor competence, coordination and physical capacities in a unified training programme.

1. Basic Movement Skills (BMS)

The Basic Movement Skills consists of ten fundamental forms of movement (BMS) to move skilfully across the lifespan. The 10 fundamental forms of movement are:

Balancing and falling
Romping and fighting
Moving and locomotion
Jumping and landing
Rolling, tumbling and turning
Throwing, catching, hitting and aiming
Kicking, shooting and aiming
Climbing and scrambling
Swinging
Music in motion

Within each BMS, there is a range of appearances, for example, in balancing and falling movers can perform the following appearances: supporting balance, balance in flight, gliding balance, and rolling balance. These basic forms of movements and their appearances support each other (especially in coordination) and are collectively important for optimal and versatile motor development regardless of age or skill level. The BMS are the building blocks that introduces movement versatility into a training programme.

2. Coordinative Abilities (CA)

Coordinative Abilities (coordination) are the building block that improves the quality of the movement being performed.
The ASM divides coordination into 7 abilities:

Adaptability (i.e. the ability to adapt)
Balance ability (i.e. the ability to maintain and restore balance)
Coupling ability (i.e. the ability to synchronise movements)
Kinetic differentiating ability (i.e. the ability to couple sub-movements in a precise and efficient manner)
Spatial orientation ability (i.e. the ability to determine your position in space in relation to relevant information)
Ability to react (i.e. the ability to respond fast and appropriately to a problem/situation).
Rhythmic ability (i.e. the ability to perceive and move on and off rhythm)

This division makes it possible to engage and use all aspects of coordination in the development of all basic movement skills (BMS). These abilities are not trained in isolation, but different activities or exercises will emphasise and overload some of them depending on the focus of the training session.

3. Conditions of Movement (COM)

Traditional approaches to athletic development often divide physical abilities into coordination, speed, strength, flexibility and endurance. However, the ASM vision believes that these are related to one another and cannot be described independently of each other. Traditional approaches also primarily develop these abilities independently of fundamental, sport-specific and functional movements.

The ASM proposes that training these properties in isolation is not effective and suggests using five different, more practically feasible ‘conditions’ needed to perform successful movements in physical activities and sports. The five conditions of successful movement are:

Agility (i.e. manoeuvrability)
Flexibility (i.e. limberness)
Stability (i.e. posture/balance)
Power (i.e. force and speed)
Endurance (i.e. local and total endurance).

In the ASM, conditions of movement are developed in an integrated manner with the BMS and CA improving the capacity of movement and performance.

The ASM Continuum

The ASM building blocks (BMS, CA and COM) are integrated using the ASM continuum. Based on an initial Basic Movement Skills Analysis, the ASM continuum offers coaches guidance to design training programmes, activities and exercises to develop versatile movers in a structured manner. The ASM Continuum has four interacting categories that are important for a versatile development.

SpecificSpecific training is the physical activity or sport itself or, games, activities, exercises and drills that are designed based on the target physical activity or sport (for example, developing kicking, shooting and aiming by playing a 11×11 football match). The development of physical activity or sport specific movements and skills are included and essential for the ASM as this practice informs the progression of the next categories within the continuum. AdaptiveAdaptive technique training of BMS encountered in the target physical activity or sport and its specific training, or games, activities and exercises can be achieved with intentional variation during training and practice (changing rules, equipment size or material, or the environment). For example, developing kicking, shooting and aiming (a BMS present in official football) by playing a small-sided football game or playing football on a sandy beach. DonorDonorsports are physical activities, sports, or exercises that share at least one BMS with the targeted physical activity, sport, or exercise, but has little resemblance to it and often requires the performance of BMS appearances almost never seen in the targeted sport. For example, developing kicking, shooting and aiming (a BMS present in official football) during a fut-tennis game (a tennis game played with the feet) or a Taekwondo training session (when often performers kick something else besides a ball).MultiWithin ASM, Multisports are physical activities, sports, exercises that focus on BMS that are not included in the final form of the targeted physical activity, sport or exercise. For example, climbing for football or kicking, shooting and aiming for Hockey, but yet support the development of a versatile mover. Known as physical activity or sport supporting BMS, these BMS, which at first glance doesn’t seem to improve performance in the targeted sport, are as evenly important as all the other three categories included in the ASM continuum.