Motor Learning and Coaching

• Motor learning and coaching aims to optimize and expedite the learning of motor skills
• Classification of motor skills

  • Gross
  • Fine
  • Open
  • Closed
  • Discrete
  • Serial
  • Continuous
• Motor programs


  An organized set of individual motor skills (or subroutines) that result in the correct execution of a specified skill
• Motor program in cricket

  • Playing a front foot drive
  • Stepping forwards
  • Grip
  • Stance
  • Hitting ball
  • Follow through
• Skill


  The learned ability to bring about predetermined results with a maximum certainty, often with a minimum outlay of time or energy, or both
• Skill Categories


  • Cognitive skill
  • Perceptual skills
  • Motor skills
• Cognitive skill


  Involving primarily the brain e.g. reading, analyzing a problem
• Perceptual skills


  Involving how an individual interprets stimuli e.g. two players receive the same information from the environment but interpret it differently
• Motor skills


  Involving physical movement e.g. catching, throwing, running, jumping
• Motor skills in netball

  • Cognitive: reading the play
  • Perceptive skills: responding to a game situation
  • Motor skills: passing, running
• Motor Skills


  Activities that involve voluntary muscular movement to complete a predetermined task
• Characteristics of Motor Skills


  • Skills require a relatively complex sequence of movements
  • They are learned and require practice to improve performance
  • They have pre-determined goals and objectives
• Continuums for motor skills

  • The size of the muscle groups involved
  • The degree of continuity of the skill
  • The impact of the environment on the skill
• Gross Motor Skills


  • Involves movement of major muscle groups resulting in large body part movement and large amount of force
• Gross Motor Skills


  • Walking
  • Running
  • Balance
  • Coordination
  • Jumping
• Fine Motor Skills


  • Involve movement of smaller muscle groups resulting in more precise movement
• Fine Motor Skills


  • Writing
  • Typing on a keyboard
  • Playing a guitar
• Discrete Skills


  Have a clear beginning and ending
• Discrete Skills


  • A drive in golf
  • A dive off a tower
  • A shot at goal
  • A forwards roll
  • A penalty kick in soccer
• Serial Skills


  Made up of a number of discrete skills which are put together in a certain order to form an integrated movement
• Serial Skills


  • Floor routine in gymnastics
  • Triple jump
• Continuous Skills


  Do not have a clear beginning or ending and the same movement is repeated in a cycle over and over again
• Continuous Skills


  • Cycling
  • Jogging
  • Swimming
  • Walking
• Factors Affecting Skill Acquisition

  • Individual Differences
  • Task Factors
  • The Learning Environment
• Individual Differences


  Characteristics of the learner
• Individual Differences factors


  • Level of physical fitness
  • Age/physical maturity
  • Motivation
  • Attention/Concentration
  • Knowledge/Memory
  • Perceptual Ability
  • Goals
  • Gender
  • Skill level/level of competition
  • Injury
  • Disability
• Level of physical fitness


  The fitter you are, the longer you can keep practicing at a higher level
• Age/physical maturity


  As you get older, the more we can process and take in information
• Motivation


  The initiation, continuation and intensity of behavior
• Attention/Concentration


  The ability to concentrate and focus plays a large role in acquiring new skills
• Knowledge/Memory


  Learning can occur faster if the athlete can refer to past experiences
• Positive transfer of learning


  The use of skills from one sport to improve performance in a different sport
• Negative transfer of learning

  When skills learnt in one sport impede the learning of skills in a different sport
• Perceptual Ability


  The ability of the performer to interpret and analyze incoming information
• Goals


  Athletes with clearly defined, time phased goals are more likely to improve
• Gender


  Physical and psychological differences between the sexes become more evident at puberty
• Skill level/level of competition


  The coach needs to consider the current skill level of individual athletes
• Injury


  Injured athletes need to modify their training program
• Disability


  An athlete with a physical disability may have difficulty with movements and low fitness level
• Coaching people with a disability is challenging but achievable with a supportive and enthusiastic approach