Skilled Performance and the Acquisition of Skill

Question 1

1A. Characteristics of Skilled Performance

Answer 1

• Demonstrating a range of qualities in their skill executions and movements.
  1. Kinaesthetic Awareness
  2. Anticipation
  3. Consistency
  4. Technical Execution

Question 2

1A. 1. Kinaesthetic Awareness

Answer 2

• Understanding of your body position during sporting movements.
• Can be used to adjust your movements to achieve success.
  E.g.; Discuss throw requires a highly refined feel for the athlete’s body position related to it’s movement inside the throwing area.

Question 3

1A. 2. Anticipation

Answer 3

• Ability to predict the next moves of their opponents.
• This information can be used to decide on an appropriate action to gain an advantage.
• Anticipation skills can be developed through experience from different scenarios.
  E.g.; A defender in GAA examining their opponents specific bodily movements.

Question 4

1A. 3. Consistency

Answer 4

• Executing skills with a high success rate on a consistent basis.
• Key feature that sets athletes apart from others.

Question 5

1A. 4. Technical Execution

Answer 5

• Capacity to execute skills with excellent technique.
• Will allow the performer to experience success.
• Benefits; powerful movements, efficient use of energy and reduced risk of injury.

Question 6

1A. Indicators of a Skilled Performance (ACEFACE)

Answer 6

1. Aesthetically Pleasing:
   - Performance looks good.
   - Appealing to spectators.
2. Consistent:
   - Repeating skills with a high success rate.
3. Efficient:
   - Use the best moving patterns and options available.
4. Fluent:
   - Movements are smooth, graceful and effortless.
   - Appears easy for the athlete.
5. Accurate:
   - Set of requirements to complete are met.
   - All details of the skill are executed.
6. Controlled:
   - Ability to move and manipulate the body.
7. Economical:
   - Not wasting energy.

Question 7

1A. Environmental Influence Continuum

Answer 7

Open Skills:
- Constantly changing environment.
- Happens in response to other factors.
E.g.; Running into an open space to receive a pass in football.

Closed Skills:
- Stable with enduring characteristics.
- Clear beginning and end.
E.g.; Free throw in basketball.

Question 8

1A. Muscular Involvement Continuum

Answer 8

Gross Skills:
- Require large muscular groups.
E.g.; Deadlifting.

Fine Skills:
- Requires precision when executing.
- Only requires the use of small muscles.
E.g.; Throwing a dart.

Question 9

1A. Pacing Continuum

Answer 9

Self-Paced Skill:
- Athlete is in control of the timing.
- Moving begins when they feel comfortable.
E.g.; Badminton servers.

Externally Paced Skills:
- Happens as a result of environmental factors.
- Athlete is not in direct control of timing.
- Athlete must adapt to the environment when executing the skill.
E.g.; Catching a rugby pass reacting to the speed and direction of the ball to adjust their speed and body position.

Question 10

1A. Skill vs Ability

Answer 10

Skill:

• Coordinated movement patterns.
• Have been learned overtime in order to achieve a specific outcome.
• Developed through practice.

Ability:

• Foundations for the development of skills.
• Predetermined and genetic.
• Natural ability.

Question 11

1A. Types of Skills

Answer 11

Psychomotor Skill:
- Bodily movement performed with a pre-determined end result.
E.g.; Striking a sliotar with a hurl.

Perceptual Skill:
- Interpreting the information of the sporting environment.
- Enables athletes to make decisions during the play.
E.g.; Watching the body position and action of the opponent in tennis when the ball is struck to interpret the ball’s flight, direction and spin.

Cognitive Skill:
- Problem solving during play.
- Deciding what to do next.
E.g.; An opponent is struggling to kick with their left leg so the athlete forces them onto this side when defending.

Question 12

1A. Stages of Skill Acquisition

Answer 12

• Process of developing a specific sequence of body movements that proves to be complicated or difficult.

1. Cognitive Stage
2. Associative Stage
3. Autonomous Stage

Question 13

1A. Stage 1: Cognitive Stage

Answer 13

• Beginner athletes learning a new skill.
• Movements at this stage may not be smooth or accurate.
• No consistency or accuracy.
• Movements may appear awkward and forced.
• Basic extrinsic and positive feedback.

Question 14

1A. Stage 2: Associative Stage

Answer 14

• Athlete has a grasp of the fundamental movements.
• Will begin to improve their skill execution and movements.
• More consistent in skill execution.
• Both intrinsic and extrinsic feedback.
• Able to make self-adjustments.
• Development of kinaesthetic awareness.

Question 15

1A. Stage 3: Autonomous Stage

Answer 15

• Final stage of skill learning.
• High levels of consistency, fluency and accuracy.
• Motor programme of the skill is stored in the long-term memory.
• Required to continue practicing and refining their skills.
• Able to provide intrinsic feedback.
• Able to appreciate and use negative feedback.
• Able to link complicated movements together and make them look easy.
• Able to demonstrate highly developed kinaesthetic awareness.

Question 16

1A. Types of Feedback

Answer 16

• Information an athlete receives about specific aspects of their performance.
• Helps to identify mistakes and inaccuracies in their technique.

1. Intrinsic Feedback
2. Extrinsic Feedback
3. Positive Feedback
4. Negative Feedback
5. Continuous Feedback
6. Terminal Feedback

Question 17

1A. Intrinsic Feedback

Answer 17

• Receiving kinesthetic feedback on the movement.

- Combination of senses; vision, hearing, proprioception and touch.

Question 18

1A. Extrinsic Feedback

Answer 18

• Outside source; coaches or another athlete.
• Provided after a performance/ skill execution.
• Classed by knowledge of results and knowledge of performance.

Knowledge of Results:
- Gives information on the end result.
- Concerns an athletes score/number of successful attempts/time/overall result.
Knowledge of Performance:
- Gives information of the quality of the athlete’s action or technique.
- Doesn’t concern the end result of the action.

Question 19

1A. Positive Feedback

Answer 19

• Form of praise directed at an athlete.

- Cognitive stage learners will benefit from positive feedback.

Question 20

1A. Negative Feedback

Answer 20

• Highlights mistakes made by an athlete.
• Beneficial if accompanied by advice on how to improve.
• Should include notes on what the athlete has done well for motivation to improve.
• May not be successful with cognitive stage learners.

Question 21

1A. Continuous Feedback

Answer 21

• Received by an athlete during their skill executions of performance.
• Allows an athlete to change technique within the performance in order to perform better.

Question 22

1A. Terminal Feedback

Answer 22

• Received by an athlete at the end of a performance.
• Helps athletes with future performances.
• Provides a focus for future training sessions.

Question 23

1A. Types of Practice

Answer 23

Fixed Practice:

• Requires skill repetition.
• Environment remains constant.

Massed Practice:

• Continuous practice with no rest period.
• Practice a particular skill over and over.
• Develops simple, closed, discrete skills.

Variable Practice:

• Develop skills and adapt their technique in changing situations/environments.
• Practice using different responses to varying situations.
• Develop decision-making skills.
• Suited for associative/autonomous stage athletes.

Distributed Practice:

• Skills are practiced with rest and recovery periods to allow for analysis.
• Receive extrinsic feedback.

Mental Practice:

• Visualising a successful performance.
• Enhancing confidence levels of the athlete.
• Complex, serial skills can be developed

Question 24

1A. Methods of Practice

Answer 24

Whole Practice:

• Skill is practiced in it’s entirety from start to finish.
• Allows the athlete to get a feel for the entire movement pattern.
• Develops kinesthetic awareness.

Part Practice:

• Different parts of the skill are practiced in isolation.
• Developing complex and serial skills.
• Perfects one aspect of the skill.
• Move on and try to perfect another.

Whole-part-whole Practice:

• Skill is first practiced in it’s entirety.
• Skill is broken down in practiced in sub-routines.
• Skill is then practiced again fully.