Hi, I’m Jaan Saks and I’m running this site with my better half, Maria.
I was really active as a kid (back in the days when climbing trees was a normal thing to do) and have practiced dozens of different sports since then. Although I have never skateboarded or played lacrosse in my life, I would feel relatively confident taking up these new activities as the wide range of motor skills developed in my childhood support that.
And that’s what I wish for every kid.
I have studied sports sciences and worked in the health and sports field since 2006. And now, that my first daughter was born, I’m putting my experience and know-how into practice with her and sharing my journey with you.
My Sports Background
Throughout my life, I have been active in sports – running and climbing trees as a kid and covering disciplines like swimming, cycling, inline and ice speed skating, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, wakeboarding, karate, dancing, and kart racing in later years.
I’m bringing this up because I want to emphasize how important the role these various disciplines have played in my life. The fact that I feel confident in moving and controlling my body, has given me confidence in all areas of life.
My Education
Due to the love of sports, I started studying Sports Sciences at the University of Tartu. I have finished all of my Master’s studies but haven’t yet finished and defended my final thesis. But I’ll get there 🙂
My Work Experience in this Field
I worked as a part-time inline and speed skating coach from 2006 to 2014, providing skating classes to children and adults.
Since 2013 I have been working in a sports technology company. Due to the nature of my job I have had the pleasure to work with hundreds of coaches around the world.
A common problem they see with kids (and that I relate to from my own experience), is the lack of physical literacy. This leads to slower development, a higher probability of injuries, and a higher chance of dropout from sports, often resulting in an unhealthy lifestyle in the later years.
Therefore, we have worked a lot on implementing the concepts of physical literacy and long-term athlete development (LTAD) into our software, to help coaches engage their young athletes and to encourage them to a healthy lifestyle. (LTAD is a concept used worldwide for age-appropriate development and to improving motor skills).
I have seen the importance of physical literacy, age-appropriate development, and improving one’s motor skills through my own sports history, through my studies, and through my work experience. Therefore, I have accepted them as credos to act by myself, to teach my daughter, and to share on this website.
If you want to get in touch, send me an email: hello [ät] improvemotorskills [dot] com