Skill Acquisition + Classification Flashcards
define skill acquisition
the process of learning, developing and retaining new skills
or
improving existing skills through practice, experience and training
what does skill acquisition help athletes to do?
learn, refine and master skills over time
why is skill acquisition important? (2)
- helps coaches design effective training programmes for athletes of different skill levels
- can reduce learning plateaus and maximise performance
define skill
the learnt ability to bring about predetermined results with maximum certainty and efficiency, often with minimal effort or energy
list some characteristics of a skilled performance
learnt
fluent / smooth / error-free
accurate
goal-directed
aesthetically pleasing
consistent
define ability
the innate, genetically determined traits that form the foundation for the development of skills and performance in various sports
ability can be broken down into two categories…
- gross motor ability
- psychomotor ability
define gross motor ability
the ability to control large muscle groups for movements like whole-body co-ordination
examples of gross motor ability in sport (2)
rugby
tackling
scrummaging
football
kicking the ball
sprinting
tackling
what is another term used in place of “gross motor ability?”
physical proficiency ability
define psychomotor ability
the co-ordination of mental processes with physical actions, important for tasks requiring precision and timing
examples of psychomotor ability in sport (3)
table tennis
adjusting the racket’s angle
football
goalkeeper diving with hand-eye coordination
gymnastics
precision of hand placement
how can skill classification be useful to that of a coach planning training sessions? (4)
targeted practice
drills can be tailored to match the type of skill being developed
progression design
progress athletes from isolated skill drills to more complex, game-like scenarios
performance measurement
allows coaches to accurately assess skill improvement by comparing performance
motivation and confidence
how many skill continua are there?
list them:
six
- environmental continuum
- pacing/control continuum
- muscular involvement continuum
- continuity continuum
- organisation continuum
- difficulty continuum
environmental continuum (3)
how much the environment influences the skill
open skills = wherein the skill is affected by external factors
closed skills = wherein the skill is performed in a stable, predictable environment
pacing/control continuum (3)
the degree to which the performer controls the timing and speed of a skill
self-paced skills = movement timing is largely down to the individual
externally-paced skills= timing and speed of the skill are dictated by external factors
muscular involvement continuum (3)
classifies skills based on the amount of muscle involvement required
gross motor = involve large muscle groups and are often less precise
fine motor = require small muscle groups and precise control
continuity continuum (4)
distinguishes between skills that are continuous, discrete, or serial in nature
continuous skills = have no distinct beginning or end and are repeated in a cycle
discrete skills= have a distinct beginning and end
serial = a series of discrete skills performed in a sequence
organisation continuum (3)
refers to how well the components of a skill are structured and how complex the skill is
high organisation = difficult to break down into sub-routines because the components are closely linked and performed together
low organisation = can be broken down into sub-routines and practised separately
difficulty continuum (3)
assesses the level of complexity involved in performing a skill
simple skills = require less cognitive processing, less precision, and are easier to learn
complex skills = require high levels of coordination, skill and concentration with advanced information processing
