Developing Sports Skills

1. Developing Sports Skills Improve performance in games and sports

2. Motor skills is a term that applies to movement Motor skill refinement refers to improving the skill Locomotor skills enable a person to move from one place to another (examples include walking, running, jumping, etc.) Technique is the way a skill is performed Skill progression refers to the order that a person learns a skill or skills needed for specific sports or games. Important vocabulary!

3. Performance in games and/or sports is related to skill development. Sports skills can be improved by: • Learning about the game/sport • Self-evaluation • Practice

4. Humans have needed motor, or movement, skills since the beginning of time. The ability to throw, strike, run, dodge, jump and climb were once necessary for survival. If you lacked those skills, you did not live long.

5. Society progressed and: Fighting, hunting and fishing were not needed for survival. Exercise and physical activity were changed to play and games, instead of survival and war activities.

6. In order to be successful in games and sports you must learn movement skills. Movement skills are the basics that good players use automatically. Physical fitness is also important. It is also very important to have body management and locomotor skills.

7. Learning movement skills is important because: • Success in sports equals interest • Success in games means enjoyment • Failure in sports and games equals frustration and boredom which leads to a lack of activity.

8. Learning most skills requires instruction or someone teaching you how to do the skill. As boys and girls grow they develop coordination, endurance and rhythm which can make learning skills easier. It’s important to learn skills required in a game or sport before participating in the game so you don’t become frustrated. Practicing skills helps you succeed in sports and makes it fun. Learning motor skills requires patience!

9. Learning by doing is a powerful way to learn! • In order to learn a motor or sport skill you must practice the skill. • You must practice the skill correctly or you learn poor or bad technique.

10. Technique is important! • Proper technique requires less effort. • Proper technique produces better results. • Proper technique improves your chances of success.

11. Accuracy: • Another important concept in motor skill refinement is accuracy. • Accuracy is required in many throwing activities. • Accuracy means a person is able to hit a target in the correct location, throw a ball where it needs to go, hit an object at the correct time or place and put their body in the correct location.

12. Movement skills such as jumping, landing after a jump, pivoting, turning, rolling and falling correctly. Locomotor skills that can be used quickly and efficiently Throwing for speed, accuracy and distance. Catching balls and other objects when spinning or changing directions Striking objects with either parts of the body or other objects Examples of motor skills that must be learned and refined in order to feel confident playing sports and games.

13. There are other factors that can affect success in sports or games such as: • Using visual clues poorly. A visual clue provides a warning that something is about to occur and allows you to react to it. • Using equipment that is too big or small for your height or weight.

14. But correctly practicing will help you succeed. • Gain information about the skills • Practice the skills • Use the skills in simulated games • Put the skills to use in games or sports

15. Let’s review some examples of sport skills that you may use in a variety of games. We’ll look at the correct sequence each skill should be performed and how that skill can be modified for different sports.

16. Overhand throw: • Stand with your non-throwing shoulder to the target and your feet apart (balanced and comfortable). • Hold the ball in your throwing hand with your finger pads not the palm of your hand. • Shift your weight to the rear foot while swinging your throwing hand behind your shoulder so the ball is just above your ear. • Step forward with your front foot. • Bring your throwing arm forward with your elbow leading • Snap your wrist forward and down as you follow through in direction of the target. Keep eyes on the target

17. Catching: • Stand with feet comfortably apart and knees slightly bent. • Move in front of the oncoming object • Watch it as it moves into your hands. • Catch it and allow your body to “give” and absorb the force if necessary. • If the ball is low, catch it with your fingers pointing down • If the ball is high, catch it with your fingers pointing up.

18. Free throw: • Feet are shoulder width apart with the foot under the shooting hand slightly ahead of the other foot. • Knees are slightly bent with body square to the basket. • Both hand should be on the ball, level with the chin and over the leading foot. • Place shooting hand under and behind the ball supporting it with the fingers (not the palm). • The non-shooting hand should be to the side of the ball for balance. • The shooting arm should be at a right angle with elbow and arm in a straight line with the basket and wrist cocked back. • Keep head up eyes on the basket. • Bring the ball up above your forehead, release the ball while straightening your knees, pushing with the arm, flicking the wrist. • Follow through with arm reaching to the ceiling.

19. Overhand serve in volleyball • Stand with your non-serving shoulder facing the net. • Feet should be shoulder width apart. • The foot closest to the net should be slightly in front of the other, but with body weight on both feet. • Hold the ball in non-striking hand and toss it above your head. • As the ball is tossed, shift weight to the back foot. • With the elbow bent slightly, swing your striking arm upward and backward and then forward to hit the ball in the center with the heel of the hand. • Follow through as you transfer weight from the front foot to the back foot, then step toward the target.

20. Many sport skills are very similar. Throwing a ball is very similar to the overhand volleyball serve and the tennis serve. A sidearm throw and hitting a ball with a tennis racquet or bat have many common elements. When performing motor skills it is important to: Get in the correct position which is called stance Perform the skill- make contact with the ball, release in a throw, catch an object, etc. Follow through by moving in the correct direction after performing the necessary action listed above. Are sports skills all different? Or do sport skills have many similarities?

21. Please get out your journal paper! • Respond to the open response question on the next slide. • Place the completed journal entry (answer to the open response question) in your journal or notebook.

22. Tom is going to be helping at a sports camp next summer. He has been asked to spend the end of the day reinforcing the skills learned. • List and explain three ways Tom can improve or refine motor skills. • Discuss the importance of skill practice in order to improve performance in games.