Acquiring Skill in Sport: An Introduction

John Honeybourne

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2006
• ISBN:
  9781134273249
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Physical Education

This user-friendly, accessible text will enable new students to understand the basic concepts of sport skills acquisition. Each chapter covers important theoretical background and shows how this theory can be applied through practical examples from the world of sport. The book also examines the ways in which skills can be developed most effectively and addresses issues such as:

• characteristics and classifications of abilities and skills in sport
• information processing in sport
• motor programmes and motor control
• phases of learning
• presentation of skills and practices.

A valuable resource for students and teachers in physical education, sport studies and sports science courses as well as for coaches who want to develop their theoretical knowledge.

chapter one
CHARACTERISTICS AND CLASSIFICATION OF SKILLS IN SPORT

the learned ability to bring about predetermined results with maximum certainty often with the minimum outlay of time or energy or both.

Knapp (1963)

Characteristics of skill and skilful performance

The word skill is often used in sport and can be used to describe movements such as dribbling a football. However, the word skilful is used to describe the motor movements of someone who has achieved excellence in their activity.

A sports performer who is deemed to be skilful often possesses the qualities of co-ordination, fluency, control, economy and efficiency of movement. Skills in sport when fully learned have an aesthetic quality because of the fluidity of the movement shown. Even professional boxers demonstrate a beauty of movement because of the speed and flow of technically accurate motor skills related to footwork and combinations of punches.

Skills that are fully learned are pre-planned and are directed towards a predetermined goal. For example, a skilful netball player will have worked out a plan of movement – often called a motor plan. This motor plan will have been formulated by referring to previous experiences of using that particular skill or movement that are held in the long-term memory.

All preparatory movements and subsequent execution of that skill would then be directed towards fulfilling the aims planned by the performer.

The following is another well known definition of skill:

An organised coordinated activity in relation to an object or a situation which involves a whole chain of sensory, central and motor mechanisms … the performance is continuously under the control of the sensory input … which controls the performance in the sense that outcomes of actions are continuously matched against some criterion of achievements or degree of approach to a goal according to which the performance is corrected.

Argyle and Kendon (1967)

There are three main types of skill in sport: (1) cognitive skills, (2) perceptual skills, (3) fundamental motor skills.

Cognitive skills

These are the intellectual/mental skills of the sports performer. These skills affect perception. They are essential for effective decision-making and problem solving.

In order to perform skills, we need certain underlying factors such as strength and hand–eye co-ordination. These factors are known as abilities and are different from skills. This is because abilities are largely determined genetically; in other words they are naturally occurring and enduring characteristics. Skills, on the other hand, are learned through practice.

EXAMPLE

A rugby player makes the decision to kick rather than pass in a ‘pressure situation’. This decision is based on a cognitive assessment.

Perceptual skills

These involve the interpretation of information received so that a motor plan can be formulated. Perception is affected by previous experiences and attentional control.

EXAMPLE

A slalom skier assesses the timing of a turn by taking into account (perceiving) his own position and the position of the gate in relation to his downhill speed.

PLATE 1 Perception of space and speed can critically affect timing

Photo: Tony Marshall/EmPics Sports Photo Agency

Skills that require a great deal of interpretation of the sensory input are known as complex skills. Skills that do not have many perceptual demands are known as simple skills.

Motor skills

These are physical limb movements that are directed towards the achievement of a particular goal.

EXAMPLE

A basketball player uses the motor skills involved in passing the ball to move it accurately and effectively f...