In May, I attended the International Physical Literacy Conference in New York City. Along with nearly 300 participants from 28 countries, I attended presentations where researchers shared their research findings, and practitioners, including myself, shared learnings, best practices and in many cases, how their country was promoting physical literacy in schools.

Most of the presentations were delivered by university professors who discussed their research on physical literacy. Some of the takeaways were within the movement pedagogy, which focused on the concurrent development of confidence and competence through teacher feedback, positive challenge, and the benefits of active participation within and beyond physical education.

There is no doubt that teaching specific fundamental movement skills in a structured and scaffolding way increase the learner's ability to move properly now and long term, which in turn increases their overall engagement in an active lifestyle. Furthermore, being active has lifelong benefits, such as a reduction of stress and anxiety, fewer injuries and less contact with the healthcare system.

One interesting presentation focussed on the cost--mentally, physically and economically—associated with ACL injuries among teenagers (especially high-level soccer players) because of both a lack of physical literacy and too much focus on playing the game. The cost per injury was calculated to be $37,000 USD, and that does not include the long-term impacts, such as a less active lifestyle later in life and ongoing knee issues.

I had an opportunity to present at the conference, and I was proud to showcase Cleveland Elementary's focus on physical literacy. I spoke about the positive benefits we have seen at school, including more physical activities during recess and lunch, the types of games played, increased engagement and focus in the classroom, and less conflict among students.

I am proud to work for an organization that understands the importance of supporting teachers and schools as they develop strong physical literacy programs, which in turn supports students to become physically literate. I also invite teachers who would like to learn more to contact me directly.