Fundamental movement skills in grassroots soccer

Beuckels Maxime, 2025
Fundamental movement skills (FMS) are key to developing motor abilities and long-term athletic success. This study surveyed grassroots soccer coaches from nine European countries, focusing on 422 coaches who met the inclusion criteria of coaching teams up to U12 and holding no license or licenses up to UEFA C. While coaches generally recognized the importance of FMS, significant differences were found between countries, with Finland, Portugal, and Ireland scoring the highest. Belgium, however, scored below the European average in several areas. Coaching experience and expertise had minimal impact on FMS perceptions, highlighting the potential benefit of additional training to help coaches apply FMS more effectively. A review of UEFA C coaching courses in Belgium and England revealed minimal FMS content, highlighting the need for better FMS education in grassroots coaching. These findings stress the importance of integrating FMS into coaching programs to support young athletes’ development.

Promotor Matthieu Lenoir
Opleiding Lichamelijke Opvoeding en Bewegingswetenschappen
Kernwoorden Fundamental Movement skills football