Characteristics of skills and continuums

Question 1

What is a skill?

Answer 1

A learned ability to bring about a predetermined result with the minimum oflay of time, energy or both

Question 2

What is classification?

Answer 2

Categorising similar skills together based on their characteristics

Question 3

What is a continuum?

Answer 3

A line with a classification extreme at each end

Question 4

What are the characteristics of a skill? (8)

Answer 4

Aesthetically pleasing, consistent, controlled, efficient, fluent, learned, accurate and goal directed

Question 5

What does it mean when a skill is aesthetically pleasing?

Answer 5

The skill is good to watch

Question 6

What does it mean when a skill is consistent?

Answer 6

The skill repeatedly has a high success rate

Question 7

What does it mean when a skill is efficient?

Answer 7

The skill is produced with the least amount of energy and in the quickest time

Question 8

What does it mean when a skill is controlled?

Answer 8

The skill is under the control of the athlete

Question 9

What does it mean when a skill is fluent?

Answer 9

The skill is performed smoothly without stopping and starting

Question 10

What does it mean when a skill is learned?

Answer 10

The skill has been developed through practice

Question 11

What does it mean when a skill is accurate?

Answer 11

The skill is performed with precision

Question 12

What does it mean when a skill is goal directed?

Answer 12

There is a clear aim in mind

Question 13

Why do we classify skills?

Answer 13

To help us understand how best to tech and practice them

Question 14

Environmental influence continuum

Answer 14

• how environmental conditions affect the movement of a skill
• open and closed

Question 15

Open skill characeristics

Answer 15

• sporting environment constantly changes while the skill is being performed
• externally paced
  Eg/ netball chest pass

Question 16

Closed skill characteristics

Answer 16

• Sporting environment is stable
• skill is not affected by external environment
• self paced
  Eg/ gymnastics vault
  Eg/ dead ball or set play situation in football

Question 17

Muscular involvement continuum

Answer 17

• the extent of the muscle groups used in the movement
• gross and fine

Question 18

Gross skill characteristics

Answer 18

• performer uses large muscle groups
• little concern for precision
  Eg/ 100m sprint

Question 19

Fine skill characteristics

Answer 19

• performer uses small muscle groups to perform skill
• require precision, accuracy and control
  **Eg/ **table tennis return shot

Question 20

Difficulty continuum

Answer 20

• how complex a skill is in terms of the information needed to complete the skill
• simple and complex

Question 21

Simple skill characteristics

Answer 21

• requires little decision making
• low preceptual load
• skill may still be difficult to learn
  Eg/ gymnastics somersault

Question 22

Complex skill characteristics

Answer 22

• lots of decision making
• high preceptual load
• speed and time is crucial
  Eg/ tennis serve

Question 23

Organisation continuum

Answer 23

• How easily a skill can be broken down into sub routines and how closely the sub routines of the movements are linked
• low organisation and high organisation

Question 24

Low organisation skill characteristics

Answer 24

• easily broken down into sub routines
• practiced in isolation
• put together to make the whole skill
  Eg/ trampoline sequence

Question 25

High organisation skill characteristics

Answer 25

- difficult to break down into sub routines - sub routines merge together quickly as the skill is performed **Eg/** golf swing

Question 26

Pacing continuum

Answer 26

- The level of contol the performer has over the timing of the skill and the speed at which it is performed - self paced and externally paced

Question 27

Self paced skill characteristics

Answer 27

- performer controls the speed of the movement and the timing fo the skill - usually a closed skill **Eg/** long jump

Question 28

Externally paced skill characteristics

Answer 28

- performer has no control over the pace of the movement and the timing of the skill - usually an open skill - usually involves opponents **Eg/ **windsurfing

Question 29

Continuity continuum

Answer 29

- how clearly defined the beginning and end of the movement/ skill is - discrete, serial and continuous

Question 30

Discrete skill characteristics

Answer 30

- skill has clear negining and end **Eg/** football penalty

Question 31

Serial skill characteristics

Answer 31

- number of discrete skills all performed together **Eg/** triple jump

Question 32

Continuous skill characteristics

Answer 32

- the skill has no clear begining and end **Eg/** cycling