7 Activities to Develop Hand-Eye Coordination at a Young Age

In this edition of Dr. Rick Informs, Dr. Rick Lehman shares seven activities that can help young athletes develop hand-eye coordination and other important sports skills.

Dr. Rick recommends starting at around 10 years old, or potentially as early as nine. Between the ages of nine and 12, the priority should be developing movement, speed, coordination and general athletic skills before focusing on a particular sport or playing position.

These activities do not need to be long or exhausting. Dr. Rick recommends short sessions of around seven to 10 minutes, three or four times a week. Most importantly, they should be fun.

 

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Start with a tennis ball and a wall.

Ask your kid or young athlete to throw the ball against the wall and catch it. They can begin by catching it with both hands before progressing to:

• Catching with the right hand
• Catching with the left hand
• Alternating between hands

This activity helps develop coordination and encourages the athlete to become more comfortable using both hands.

Give the kid a couple of tennis balls and ask them to practice juggling.

They are unlikely to be good at it immediately, and it may be difficult at first. However, practicing juggling allows them to work on:

• Visual skills
• Concentration
• Timing

Practice is important.

A reaction ball travels in different directions when it bounces.

Throwing and catching the ball challenges the young athlete to respond to its unpredictable movement, helping them work on their reaction time.

Young kids do not need to be accomplished table tennis players to benefit from the activity. Honestly, at this age, they may not even be any good at it. And that’s fine.

Dr. Rick recommends table tennis as a way to work on:

• Reflexes
• Hand strength
• Hand speed
• Visual speed

The objective is not to play perfectly. It is to practice the underlying skills.

Jumping rope is another activity that can be introduced for short periods.

The objective is not to fatigue the kids. Keep the activity short and enjoyable so that they remain interested in developing their skills.

An agility ladder can also be used to help young athletes work on movement, speed and coordination.

Jump-rope and agility-ladder activities should remain short, lasting approximately five to seven minutes. They should be enjoyable rather than exhausting.

Balance should form another part of the athlete’s skill development.

Dr. Rick suggests activities such as:

• Standing on one leg
• Using a BOSU ball

These can be introduced alongside the hand-eye coordination activities.

Dr. Rick advises prioritizing movement, skills, speed and coordination before focusing on a particular sport.

Do not start by training a 10-year-old exclusively as a left-handed relief pitcher or a middle linebacker. Teach them the underlying skills first.

Developing these foundations can help young people become capable athletes across many sports. They can then decide which sport they want to pursue later. The same approach applies to male and female athletes.

Dr. Rick discusses the wider principles of supporting young athletes in his book, How to R.A.I.S.E. an Athlete.

The purpose of these activities is not to fatigue our potential young athletes.

Keep the sessions short, play games with them and make the experience enjoyable. The aim is to build their interest while helping them develop movement, speed, hand-eye coordination and general athletic skills.

Teach the skills first and allow them to choose their sport later.

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