The OSA's Manager of Player Development, Bobby Lennox, took the trip to Vancouver B.C. to attend the International Physical Literacy conference, being held June 13-16.

The four day conference brought speakers and attendees from all over the world to listen to leading edge researchers and educators talk about their research and experiences in their own respective countries and organizations. The many lifelong health and sport benefits of early exposure to Physical Literacy and Fundamental movement skills was explained in many of the sessions being conducted.

Practical demonstrations allowed all the conference attendees to participate and learn the latest activities to help with a child's development Physical Literacy skills.

The worldwide problem of children and youth inactivity is a major contributor to the health and wellness issues that our youth face as they grow older. By creating exciting and engaging physical literacy programs at the early stages of a child's introduction to Physical Education and/or sport we will contribute massively to a person's lifelong successful participation in sport and activity.

The OSA Player Development and Coaching Departments incorporates Physical Literacy concepts into all of its grassroots programming.

Weekly practice plans for Active Start, FUNdamentals and Learn to Train incorporate agility, balance, coordination and speed activities to build a child movement skills. The Grassroots curriculum (see below) includes season activities.

Lennox is confident that many of the new concepts presented during the conference will be introduced to coach and player development programming.

The 2016 Physical Literacy Conference will take place during June in Liverpool, England.