Classification of Skills

• Classification of movement skills on a continuum:

  • Motor or movement skills can be classified on a continuum.
  • A continuum is a range between two extreme points. You can move up or down a continuum.
  • Sports skills are arranged on different continua.
• Environmental continuum in sport:

  • Other people
  • Terrain/surface
  • Weather
  • Situation.

  Closed Skills - Skills that are not affected by the environment. Usually self-paced and in fixed situations. Performer is in control.

  Open Skills - Skills that are affected by the environment. Mainly perceptual and externally paced. Performers have to make decisions and adapt the skills for an unpredictable environment. Performer is not in control.
• Pacing continuum in sport:

  Self-paced skills (internal) - Controlled by the performer. Tend to be more towards the end of the environmental continuum.

  • 100m sprinter has total control over the rate at which they run.

  Externally paced skills - Controlled by the environment. Include a decision and a reaction. Opponent controls rate of performance. Tend to be towards the open end of the environmental continuum.

  • Goalkeeper in handball will jump high and left because they percieve that is where the ball has been thrown. Responding to the environment rather than choosing how to perform.
• Complexity continuum in sport:

  Basic skills - Form the foundation of more complex skills. Often generic to many sports. People need to master basic skills before they attempt complex skills.

  • Running, jumping, throwing, catching, striking.

  Complex skills - Include complicated movement that require coordination and control. Usually sport specific.

  • Serving in tennis, vault in gymnastics.

  Sportspeople also use mental skills such as interpretation, judgement, decidion-making. Skills become more complex when they require more mental skills.
• Gross and fine continuum in sport:

  Gross skills - Involve large muscle movements. Performed by large muscle groups and are not very precise.

  • Walking, jumping, running, throwing. (rugby tackle)

  Fine skills - Precice movements using small muscle groups. Performed with detail and high levels of hand-eye coordination.

  • Throwing a dart, snooker shot.

  Majority of movement require both skills. Gross skills get athletes into position. Fine skills involve precision, detail, accuracy of a movement.
• Skill

  A learned action/learned behaviour with the intention of bringing about pre- determined results, with maximum certainty and minimum outlay of time and energy.
• Ability:

  Inherited, stable traits that determine an individual's potential to learn or acquire a skill.
• Performance Goal:

  Helps the athlete to focus on an aspect of performance that they are in total control of.

  • Help to keep the performer motivated.
  • Performance goals cannot be affected by anyone other than the individual player.
  • Suited to beginners as they can focus on their performance, not the outcome.
  • Suitable short term goals.
• Outcome Goal:

  Helps athlete focus on the end result and winning.

  • When achieved, will increase motivation.
  • Suits long term goals.
  • Technique becomes unimportant, only the result matters.
  • Failure to achieve can be demotivating/compared to others.
  • Does not suit beginners.