Sports psychology

• Motor skill


  An action or task that has a target or goal that requires a voluntary body and/or limb movement to achieve this goal
• Skilful movement 


  A movement in which a predtermained objective is accomplished with maximum efficiency and minimum outlay of energy
• To be skilful it needs to be:

  -fluent

  -efficient

  -co ordinated

  -predetermined

  -aesthetically pleasing
• The fundamental movements 


  -running

  -jumping

  -throwing

  -hitting

  -kicking

  -catching
• Examples of fundamental movements in sports

  Running- 100m sprint

  Jumping- High jump

  Throwing- throwing a javelin

  Hitting- hitting a ball with a bat in cricket

  Kicking- taking a corner in football

  Catching- catching a rebound after a shot on the hoop in basketball
• Efficient


  -no wasted energy

  Practical example: Hitting a ball in cricket

  Benefits: less tired, looks better

  Consequences: inefficient, tires too quickly
• Pre-determained


  -Know what you are trying to achieve

  Practical example: Gymnast knows their routine beforehand

  Benefits: Knows what to do next, less stress during, don’t have to think as much in the moment

  Consequences: Not sure what to do next, not planned, stress
• Coordinated


  -able to movement different limbs at the same time

  Practical example: Volleyball player can jump and spike at the same time

  Benefits: allows more options/plays, less energy than 2 separate movements

  Consequences: unable to move 2 limbs at once, not able to combine skills
• Fluent


  -One flowing movement

  Practical example: Rugbly player picks up ball and passes it in one flowing movement

  Benefits: Looks better, less tiring

  Consequences: jerky, not flowing
• Aesthetically pleasing


  -Looks good, uses the correct technique

  Practical example: Basketball player shoots the ball using the correct technique

  Benefits: Gives confidence if looks good

  Consequences: Does not look good
• Environmental continuum


  Classified according to changes in patterns or pace of the skill performed (weather, surroundings, court/pitch, opposition)
• Ends of environmental continuum

  Open ——- Closed

  Open : Are affected by environment, predominantly perceptual and mostly externally paced, eg. Pass in hockey

  Closed: Are NOT affected by environmeant and predominantly habitual, self paced and follow a set pattern, predictable. Eg. Free throw in basketball
• Difficulty continuum


  Classified according to the decisions and judge,ents you have to make (pressure, options, preplanned)
• Ends of the difficultly continuum

  Simple -—- Complex

  Simple: Straight forward with hardly any judgments or decision, movement pattern usually stays the same, eg. Sprint start in 100m

  Complex: A lot of decisions to make, may have to be learnt in stages, e.g pass in hockey as lots of options and defenders etc.
• Impact on training (continuum)

  -if there is an understanding of a skill it can be

  adapted/developed changing techniques based on the requirements

  -if you are teaching a closed skill, it will be more effective if it is practised repetitively so that it becomes muscle memory.

  -If you are teaching a closed skill then you would practice it in a variety of situations so you can build a variety of strategies
• Factors affecting performance


  -how precise a movement is

  -whether the movement has a definitive beginning and end

  -whether the environment affects the performance of the skill
• Overall benefits if goal setting

  -motivation

  -encouraging

  -rewarding

  -optimising performance

  -exercise adherence

  -focus in training

  -controlling anxiety

  -enabling success

  -measuring progress
• 3 key benefits of goal settings

  Optimising performance: Achieve more in a shorter space of time/ pimrpove your focus in training/ improve the skill, fitness and/or tactics

  Ensuring exercise adherence: Commitment to exercise/encouragement to take up new activity/increased motivation

  Control anxiety: Reduce stress of improvement as you have a focus which is realistic/ increase pride and satisfaction when goal is reached
• How to set goals

  S = Smart

  M = Measurable

  A = Achievable

  R = recorded

  T = timed
• specific


  needs to be a clear goal, not a vague idea or desire to improve. Consider the sport and skill you want to improve
• Measurable


  You need a starting standard (baseline test) to measure progress against
• Achievable


  Keep performers motivated with realistic targets, not too hard or too easy, so that goals can be reached
• Recorded


  Write down measurements and printed on a regular basis to monitor and track progress
• Timed


  A clear amount of time set to add focus. This can be achieved through short and long term goals which are progressive
• Practical examples of SMART


  Specific: To have an average throw of over 100 in my next competition

  Measurable: Points scored in my next match

  Achievable : agreed with coach to ensure target is realistic

  Recorded: Keep a diary of my average points in tracking and during matches themselves

  Timed: Goal meet by next competition and will introduce smaller goals throughout training
• Types of guidance


  verbal

  visual

  manual

  mechanical
• 'Verbal guidance


  Using words to describe the action and explain how to perform the action

  practical example: Verbal explaining where to place your hands on the ball when shooting on netball
• Visual guidance


  Using visual aids to show an ideal picture of a skill like demonstration or videos

  Practical example: Demonstrating a cartwheel in gymnastics
• Manual guidance


  Physical support by coach or performer to feel the movement needed

  Practical examples: supporting a somersault in gymnastics
• Mechanical guidance


  Using equipment to support and guide the performer

  Practical examples: Armbands in swimming
• Advantages and disadvantages of visual guidance

  Advantages: Good for beginners, visualisation of movement, easier to remember movement and quick and effective

  Disadvantages: Could teach incorrect technique per movement pattern, difficult to get a real idea and sense of the skill, may be too complicated for effective understanding
• Advantages and disadvantages and verbal guidance


  Advantages: Can be given immediately and quickly, good for fine tuning a skill, clear focus, can be motivating

  Disadvantages: Wrong information could be given, can lead to misunderstandings or confusion, cannot easily create a mental picture of movement requirements
• Advantages and disadvantages and manual guidance

  Advantages: reduces fear factor for performer, can be safer and therefore rises confidence, gives an idea of the feel of the movement

  Disadvantages: Unrealistic feelings of movement, performer becomes over reliant on equipment/help, can be dangerous if not done properly
• Advantages and disadvantages of mechanical guidance

  advantages: refined fear factor, can be safer and therefore rise confidence, gives feel of the movement

  Disadvantages: interactive feeling of movement, performer becomes over reliant on equipment and help and can be dangerous if not done properly
• Types of feedback


  internal

  external

  knowledge of performance

  knowledge of result

  positive

  negative