This document discusses skills and abilities in sport. It defines skills as learned behaviors that are goal directed, efficient and fluent. Abilities are innate traits like strength, coordination and speed. Skills require combinations of abilities to perform. Skills are classified on continua including precision, discrete vs continuous movement, internal vs external pace, and open vs closed environment. The document provides examples of placing various skills like long jump and shooting on these continua. It emphasizes learning is needed to develop skills from underlying abilities.

1.  1 (i) Identify a
specific target from
your chosen
sporting activity
and explain how
you would apply
SMART factors to
make the setting of
this target effective.
[3]
Use of SMART. Marks are only to be awarded if the
answer is directly linked to a target within the
chosen activity. -Target must be specific - improve
shooting X - run for longer X - more accurate passes
 Specific - Directly related to their
sport/activity/outcome they want to achieve
 Measurable - Objective aspect that can be
measured e.g. KG's, seconds etc.
 Achievable -Within reach/attainable
 Relevant -At the correct level for the
performer, challenging
 Time-Phased - Set time to achieve the goal
including short and long term objectives
 Evaluated - Self assessment and review of
goals either during or at the end of the time
agreed
 Recorded - Records kept of training to monitor
goals, enables accountability
 Agreed - Shared with other parties e.g. coach,
other team members
 Positive - Motivational/exciting and not
negative in any way
3 x 1 marks * must have example

2.  (ii)What are the
benefits of goal
setting in
developing sporting
performance? [4]
 a. Improve motivation
 b. Improve self confidence / s elf
esteem
 c. Help control arousal levels
 d. Focus on specific aspects of
performance e.g. weaker areas
 e. Specific
technical/tactical/physical
aspects can be focussed upon
 f. Feeling of
success/achievement can be
experienced
 g. Can regulate effort on specific
aspects of performance
 h. Comparisons with previous
goals be made.
 i. Monitor performance.

4. In this section we investigate:
Technical Development
•What is a skill and how skills differ from abilities
•How the brain learns movement Skills
•Theories involved with learning Skills
•How we can best teach different sorts of skills

5.  State the characteristics of skills and abilities
 Describe the difference between a skill and
abilities
 Be able to confidently classify 1 skill on 6
continua
 Be able to justify why you have placed a skill
on a continua
 Be able to apply an exam mark scheme on
skill classification to an answer

6. Understand the role skill acquisition plays in participating in physical activity

7. From what you have found out in the ALZ : –
 Write down 5 words your associate with skills
and 5 you associate with abilities
 What’s the difference?

9. ‘Skill is said to be gained through
learning. Skill is said to be
learned behaviour’
(B.Knapp)

10. Skills are:
•Learned: You are not born with them
•Permanent Changes in Behaviour
• Goal Directed: Used to achieve something
•Efficient: Minimum effort
•Fluent
•Aesthetic

11.  Little Pinky Green Expensive Ferrari Admirer

12. The word ‘Skill’ can be used in two main
ways:
•To relate to an act or task (taking a
penalty kick)
•As an indicator of the quality of a
performance (a well executed shot may
be said to be skilful)
Skills usually need to bring together a number of
our Abilities

14.  We are not born with the skills of catching,
kicking and throwing etc they have to be
learned
 But we are born with underlying factors that
allow us to perform those tasks

15.  Natural
 Innate or inherited
 Tend to be enduring traits
 E.g.
 Strength
 Co-ordination
 Quick thinking
 Agility
 Speed

16. These are ABILITIES

17.  Catch a ball?
 Hand eye coordination
 Accuracy
 Balance
 Fine motor control
 Combinations of abilities are needed to
perform most skills

18.  What are psychomotor abilities? Give examples
 Movement controlled by the brain
(psycho…brain; motor…movement
 Accuracy, precision, co-ordination and control,
multi-limb co-ordination, control precision,
aiming, rate control (changing speed and
direction), speed of arm movement, arm hand
steadiness, wrist and finger speed

19.  generally related to athletic and gross
physical performance
 i.e. physical fitness abilities (muscular
composition, lung volume, heart efficiency,
levers etc) e.g. stamina, speed and strength

21. Despite her early performances being unsuccessful or
needing her coaches support she has:
Learned to do the skill and can now do this every
time,
Would gain a good mark in a competition
Performs with minimum effort and so efficiently
Performs the movement fluently and with confidence
Looks good in the performance and generally is close
to the technical model
When we say a Gymnast has performed a skilful
back somersault we mean that:

23. There are 3 different Types of Skill
Intellectual Skills or Cognitive Skills
Skills that involve the use of a persons mental powers like
problem solving and verbal reasoning
Perceptive Skills
Interpreting and making use of information coming in via
the senses. eg. where to pass the ball or which shot to play in Golf
Motor Skills
Smoothly executing physical movements and responses
(Voluntary Movements – eg. writing your name)

24. Cognitive Knowing
Perceptive
(Affective)
Feeling
Motor Doing
Psychomotor/ Perceptual Motor Skills:
when decisions are applied to an action so
often using all 3 types of skill

25. Perceptual Skill :What canYou See?

27. Classification of Movement Skills
Skills have been classified on a variety
of continuum.
A continuum is a line with two
opposing ends and gradual changes in
characteristics in between

29. There are 4 main Continuum
Fine (Snooker Shot) Gross (Shot Putt)
1) Precision of the Movement
2) Is there a Definite Beginning and End?
Continuous Serial Discrete
Running Triple Jump Badminton Serve

30. 3) Who Controls the timing of the movement?
4) Does the Environment affect the skill?
Internal Pace
(Tennis Serve)
External Pace
(Return of Serve)
OPEN
(Hockey pass in Game)
CLOSED
(Hockey pass in Practice

31. Two others could be:
SIMPLE COMPLEX
Organisational Continuum
LOW HIGH

32.  Place each of the
following 8 skills on the
first 4 continua (use an X
and a letter to identify
the skill
 Long jump
 Cycling
 Basketball dribble
 Basketball lay up
 Taking a penalty in
football
 Gymnastic vault
 Rifle range shooting
 Receiving a serve in
badminton

37.  List the abilities important in your sport
 List 10 skills for your sport and classify them

38.  State the characteristics of skills and abilities
 Describe the difference between a skill and
abilities
 Be able to confidently classify 1 skill on 6
continua
 Be able to justify why you have placed a skill
on a continua
 Be able to apply an exam mark scheme on
skill classification to an answer