How It Works

Move Better Play Better is an initiative of the HSS Sports Medicine Institute, which brings the world-renowned sports medicine doctors, physical therapists, and other experts at HSS together to develop programs aimed at promoting the movement literacy of kids at any level of activity. 

Schools that participate in Move Better Play Better will receive the following support throughout the 2022-2023 school year:

• educational workshops for physical education teachers
• movement screenings for students
• on-site or virtual support visits for key stakeholders
• priority access to our new movement control training app 

Our team will work with school administrators and physical education teachers to schedule screenings and workshops for each school.

Why Focus on Moving Better?

Achieving a high level of physical literacy – the ability to move with competence and confidence in a wide variety of physical activities and environments – serves as the foundation for being active and healthy. While there are many benefits associated with regular physical activity, learning to perform basic movement skills is an important step in enhancing your musculoskeletal health. 

Unfortunately, many children throughout the United States lack the ability to perform even the most basic movement skills properly. Research shows that most children score poorly on standardized tests that measure movement skills, which limits their opportunities to be physically active and increases their chances of injury. 

A study published recently by researchers at HSS found that less than 25% of children between the ages of 8 and 17 were able to perform basic tasks like jumps and squats with proper technique. In contrast, researchers have found that children with a high degree of motor skill competency are more physically active and suffer fewer injuries than children with a lower levels of motor skill competency.

At HSS, we believe that every school should have the resources needed to prepare their students for physical activity and improve their physical literacy. We also understand that physical educators are uniquely positioned to achieve this goal by providing instruction in fundamental movement skills.

The Move Better Play Better campaign was developed by experts from the Sports Medicine Institute at HSS to provide schools throughout the United States with free resources to enhance their students’ physical activity and literacy. These resources, which are designed to be implemented by physical educators throughout the year, include workshops and a movement competency lesson plan for physical education teachers, movement screenings for students, on-site or virtual support visits for key stakeholders, and priority access to our new movement control training app.

About HSS

HSS is the world’s leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health. At its core is Hospital for Special Surgery, ranked No. 1 in orthopedics for 14 years in a row by U.S. News & World Report (2023-2024). The doctors who comprise the Sports Medicine Institute (SMI) at HSS, led by orthopedic surgeon Andrew Pearle, MD, see more than 95,000 patients each year and serve as team physicians to more than 30 professional sports teams, colleges, and elite sports organizations. 

The SMI’s Youth Sports Safety Program was created so that children everywhere can enjoy the benefits of sports with minimal risk of injury. Since 2016, nearly 300,000 young athletes and their parents, coaches, and teachers have attended our injury prevention workshops. And since December 2021, more than 1,000 young athletes have benefited from our injury risk factor screenings.