How important is balance training in childhood?

     Equilibrium in a broad sense is a state of balance or equilibrium that does not undergo any changes in special circumstances. The system of balance in the human body consists of the visual system and the motor system (muscles, bones and corresponding sensors); with the joint action of three sensory organs: eyes, inner ear and nerve endings (distributed on muscles, tendons and joints), it helps the body to maintain the sense of direction and balance in different situations. For example, when engaging in skiing, the brain first receives visual signals that reflect the position of the body, followed by signals from other sensory organs throughout the body, including sensors located on the soles of the feet. These signals guide you to adapt to your surroundings and maintain a state of balance. The development of balance requires the development of "muscle memory," the ability to mobilize the muscles to achieve tension and relaxation in a timely and automatic manner, which can help the body maintain good balance during movement. It is through this process that the body learns how to ride a bicycle. During the learning process, the body sends signals to the brain to adapt the body to different positions and postures, and eventually muscle memory replaces the brain's work and the body can perform each movement naturally.

    Balance is a fundamental skill necessary for athletes, and almost all sports require time to develop this ability in athletes. Imagine a soccer player controlling the ball, a baseball pitcher throwing the ball to home plate, a basketball player making a jump shot, a football forward breaking through the defense, or a tennis player surfing the net after serving the ball - balance plays a critical role in the proper execution of the action.

     If we lose our balance, we will not have a sense of rhythm and fluidity in coordinating the movements of our body parts and will not be able to perform multiple movements in a steady state. By observing high-level NBA basketball players dribbling, moving and sliding to the basket, or NHL players shooting on the ice while moving quickly, or PGA players completing a quality swing, it is evident that four of the seven physical qualities (agility, coordination, speed, and strength) need to be supported by balance to be effectively displayed. For example, the swing (bat, club, racket) of baseball, golf and tennis cannot be completed smoothly without the balance to match.

     No matter which sport you do that requires moving your body quickly, balance is a necessary ability for athletes such as swinging a golf club, swimming, running the bases after hitting a baseball, alpine skiing, controlling the forward motion of a hockey puck when facing an opponent, soccer and lacrosse, etc. Balance plays a vital role in most movements. It is mainly manifested in the change of center of gravity, which helps athletes to complete various movement transitions continuously in different postures and movements, while generally it is easy to lose balance before or after completing a movement, which makes the ability to rebalance quickly after completing one movement and before starting the next one required.

     Developing balance includes improving balance, self-control and whole body awareness. And we are clear that balance is a fundamental ability for athletes to develop. The more attention given to developing balance in childhood, the better a child will be able to perform more difficult and complex tasks, such as achieving a double play in baseball, throwing the ball while running at full speed in football, changing direction to avoid defenders while running in basketball, and using a cane to change the skating distance to avoid defenders in hockey.