Motor competence (MC) in childhood plays a crucial role in fostering physical activity (PA), health, and psychological well-being across the lifespan. It encompasses the ability to perform fundamental movement skills (FMS) such as locomotor (e.g., running, hopping), object control (e.g., throwing, catching), and balance-related tasks. The development of MC is influenced by both organised (e.g., sports clubs) and non-organised (e.g., outdoor free play) physical activities during early childhood.
Earlier studies have demonstrated positive links between sports participation and improved MC, as well as long-term health and psychosocial benefits. Moreover, the Developmental Model of Sport Participation and frameworks like Hulteen’s lifespan PA model emphasize how both individual and environmental factors—especially sociocultural context—affect the acquisition of motor skills. Yet, relatively few longitudinal studies have addressed how early-life engagement in these activities separately and jointly influences future MC. There is growing evidence suggesting that high levels of MC during childhood are associated with numerous developmental benefits—physical, psychological, and social—as well as increased participation in physical activity into adolescence and adulthood.
This study is grounded in established models of motor development, including Hulteen et al.’s conceptual framework and Stodden’s developmental trajectory model, which highlight the importance of both individual capabilities and contextual factors—like access to physical activities—in shaping MC across the lifespan.
With the growing emphasis on structured sports programs and recognition of the value of outdoor free play, it is essential to understand how these two forms of activity (organised vs. non-organised) contribute to motor development. This longitudinal study, therefore, aimed to explore the predictive value of organised sports participation and outdoor time during early childhood on MC outcomes assessed three years later. Furthermore, it examined whether these factors have independent or interactive effects, with particular attention to possible gender differences.
Multisport participation was found to predict the MC of all the participants, emphasising its importance. Time spent outdoors predicted higher performance in JS, OCS, and FMS for girls, but not for boys. This findings of this study underscore the important and independent roles of organised sports participation and spending time outdoors among children (see Graphic).
(Source: Luukkainen NM, Laukkanen A, Niemistö D, Sääkslahti A. Children’s outdoor time and multisport participation predict motor competence three years later. Journal of Sports Sciences. 2025;3:1-9.)