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E Movement Competence 2.1 Why Movement Matters L 2.2 Movement Features and Patterns 2.3 Learning Movement Skills 2.4 Movement Principles P 2.5 Game Strategies and Tactics...

E Movement Competence 2.1 Why Movement Matters L 2.2 Movement Features and Patterns 2.3 Learning Movement Skills 2.4 Movement Principles P 2.5 Game Strategies and Tactics M 2 28 S A Chapter 2 Movement Competence 29  E Mike’s Story Each of us has a movement competence journey, no matter what our ability level. Whether we are at work or at play, moving Key Terms movement competence competently can improve our confidence, safety, and overall demands capacity framework quality of life. The more movements we can perform competently, L the seven key movement features the greater the likelihood that we will follow an active lifestyle. fundamental movement patterns skill Moving well begins by simply becoming aware of the key features deliberate practice and fundamental patterns that underlie how we move as we phases of a movement skill perform activities, games, sports, and everyday tasks. skill transferability P Breaking a movement into its component parts helps us assess and fundamental sports skills improve how we move. From an early age, we begin to observe that movement principles skills learned in one activity can transfer to other activities that stability involve similar movement patterns. Skills that are not specific to maximum effort sports can be transferred to a sports context, and vice versa. joint range of motion This transferability of skills means that you can engage more Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) confidently and competently in a wide range of physical activities, M territory activities games, and sports in many different environments. net/wall activities striking/fielding activities Learning Objectives target activities In this chapter, you will... individual activities A develop an understanding of demonstrate and apply outdoor activities how to improve your movement an understanding of the competence components of a range of demonstrate an understanding physical activities of skill transferability identify and implement tactical demonstrate an understanding solutions while participating in a S of the phases of movement variety of physical activities skills while participating in a demonstrate an understanding variety of physical activities of how applying movement apply appropriate movement concepts, skills, and strategies How can you develop principles to refine your skills in affects your competence, and work toward your undertaking a variety of physical confidence, and desire to activities participate in physical activities own personal level of movement competence?  Mike Doherty was in Grade 9 when he broke his neck in a diving accident. Despite the odds, his determination and the support of his teachers kept him enrolled in his high school physical education program. Today, Mike’s movement competence is critical to his career as a firefighter and to his participation in Canada’s challenging FireFit Championships. 30 Chapter 2  E 2.1 2.1 Why Movement Matters Stop and ask yourself: “Why does movement matter to me? What physical activities are important to me? What does my typical day look like?” What Influences How We Move? How we move while performing any physical activity, whether that activity is something we need or want to do, is influenced by many factors — for example, our motivation, our abilities, and the environment. L You may recall from Chapter 1 that movement competence is an important Movement is influenced by our characteristics as individuals and by component of physical literacy. Movement competence typically refers to everything around us. In other words, how we move depends on the how someone is moving — when we demonstrate movement competence, context in which we are performing an activity. The factors that influence we move in a safe or effective manner, or both, in order to achieve the our movement patterns can be broadly categorized into three types: objective of the activity that we are performing. Personal factors P Regardless of who we are or what activities we are involved in, how we Think about how and why you move as an individual while throwing a move matters. It matters when we are participating in an activity or a baseball. How you throw the ball will be influenced by many unique sport, going about our daily routines, or performing a job-related task. personal characteristics, including your physical attributes, fitness level, Moving competently matters to everyone, everywhere, because we all coordination, confidence, attitude, emotions, motivation, and awareness want to perform well in whatever we do while remaining safe and free of both your body and your surroundings. For instance, factors such as of injury. limited shoulder range of motion, feeling exhausted after a late night, or Ultimately, when we reflect on why movement competence is so playing baseball every summer for the past six years could all influence important, it comes down to one thing: being able to do all the things we how you throw a ball. M need or love to do so that we can enjoy life today and well into the future. Environmental factors How you throw a baseball is also influenced by the environment you are in. For instance, the surface on which you are standing (e.g., grass versus pavement), the temperature (e.g., hot versus cold), weather conditions (e.g., rainy versus sunny), background sounds or music, verbal instructions A from a coach, and the presence of social groups such as friends or peers could all influence how you throw the ball. The task or activity Lastly, features of the specific task or activity that you are performing will influence your movement. When you throw a baseball, task-related factors such as the size and weight of the ball or the type of pitch being S thrown will influence how you move. Suppose you were throwing a boomerang instead of a baseball. This difference could clearly influence your throwing action. When someone lifts a bag into an overhead compartment on a plane, various contextual factors affect the person’s movement patterns. These factors include the person’s size, strength, and fitness; the size, weight, and shape of the bag; and the temperature inside the cabin of the plane. Think of other examples of how your movement patterns are influenced by personal, environmental, or task-specific factors. 32 Chapter 2 Movement Competence 33  E Daily Demands Differ Balancing Our Demands and Capacity Building capacity will improve our movement competence Section 2.1 Review What demands are experienced by a It is well established that becoming a confident, competent mover will 1 Give one example of a personal, How we move is central to balancing our capacity and demands. This person who enjoys an early morning improve not only your performance but also your overall health. Everyone, environmental, and task-specific perspective is known as the demands capacity framework. To perform at bike ride, walk, or run before going to regardless of age, skill level, ability, or interests, should strive to build the factor that will influence how our best and maintain good health both today and in the future, we must L school or work each day? The terrain capacity to balance the demands of daily life — all the activities that we you move while performing a have the capacity (e.g., the awareness, motivation, and ability) to handle of the biking, walking, or running route need or want to perform with relative proficiency and enjoyment. chore, sport, or other activity. the demands of our lives — the activities we need or want to perform on a imposes physical demands. Paying daily basis. This implies that if your capacity exceeds your demands, you will be 2 Describe your demands — the attention to traffic, pedestrians, and able to perform anything you want or need to do safely and effectively. physical activities you need or potholes would impose cognitive For students, teachers, truck drivers, gardeners, athletes, grocery store But what if your demands exceed your capacity — if you want or need want to perform each day. demands. Anxiety about completing clerks, and everyone else in our society, physical activity is a part of to do more than you can handle — so that you cannot perform all of the 3 List two ways in which you could daily life. We all move differently as a result of the differing contextual P the activity on time would represent activities that appeal to you? increase your capacity to handle an affective, or emotional, demand. factors just described. People working in a grocery store, for example, your demands better. Biking, walking, or running with friends need to push carts and squat down to stock shelves. People working in a For example, you might want to try paddleboarding but lack the and trying to match their pace would gardening store need to lift heavy bags of soil and carry trays of plants to range of motion, strength, or endurance to perform the required constitute a behavioural demand. customers’ cars. Farmers need to push and pull equipment and machinery. movements. Or maybe you have the required physical ability but lack the Table tennis players need to lunge and rotate their shoulders, elbows, awareness to move in a safe or effective manner. If you were to attempt and wrists. paddleboarding, the demands would exceed your capacity, and you would likely fail or hurt yourself. Regardless of what activities define your daily life, all the activities you M want or need to do reflect your demands. Capacity is a term used to It is important to remember, however, that failure is a vital part of success. describe your confidence, motivation, strength, endurance, flexibility, and Failure can help to highlight specific areas of our capacity that we need to so on — in performing a physical activity safely and proficiently. improve so we can learn to perform all the activities that are important to us. The key is to view failure as a form of valuable feedback and not as a Broadly speaking, the physical activities we participate in each final result. day — playing video games, biking, exercising, walking, carrying a backpack, and so on — all impose demands that will influence our safety If your demands exceed your capacity, how can you A and effectiveness. These demands might involve physical, cognitive, respond? You might decide to figure out how to affective (emotional), or behavioural components, or a combination increase your capacity so you can move as of these components. required in order to paddleboard without falling off the board or injuring yourself. You need to have a level of challenge that exceeds your capacity in order S to improve your capacity. This might YOUR DEMANDS YOUR CAPACITY mean setting a challenging goal for Demands are the activities Capacity is your ability, yourself and adopting a “can do” you need and want awareness, motivation, etc. attitude, also known as a “growth to perform safely and to perform those activities mindset.” You might realize that effectively. safely and effectively. you need to be shown how to paddleboard by someone who is proficient at performing this activity YOUR DEMANDS YOUR CAPACITY YOUR DEMANDS YOUR CAPACITY and then to practise the required movements yourself. higher risk lower benefit lower risk higher benefit Awareness can be a powerful first step When your demands are greater than your capacity, the risk When your capacity is greater than your demands, however, of musculoskeletal injury, cardiac distress, and respiratory the risk of musculoskeletal injury, cardiac distress, and toward increasing your capacity! distress increases, while your performance and your quality respiratory distress decreases, while your performance and of life decrease. your quality of life increase. 34 Chapter 2 Movement Competence 35  E 2.2 2.2 Movement Features and Patterns Regardless of your age, developmental stage, interests, or daily routine, you probably want to improve your physical performance in some areas The Seven Key Movement Features As a first step in improving your movement competence, it is important to know which features of a movement pattern matter. When performing activities such as jumping for a rebound, lifting a backpack, or sitting in a L for one reason or another. Your everyday physical activities might vary chair while studying, which aspects of your movement will influence your from hiking to playing sports, to regular chores such as washing dishes performance, your susceptibility to injury, or your long-term health? or doing laundry. Many of us want to progress from simple to more Paying attention to the seven key movement features, which are shown complex activities for a variety of reasons, and as the demands of daily life and described in detail on the following page, can help you build your increase, we strive to increase our capacity to meet those demands. capacity and enhance your overall quality of life. Building our capacity to move competently begins with awareness. Have P Simply becoming aware of these key movement features could change you ever thought about how you jump, run, walk up the stairs, get up off your movement behaviours, alter your daily movement habits, and a chair, or perform other everyday activities? For instance, do you always improve your enjoyment of life. bend at your back or your hips when you pick something up off the The seven key movement features are floor? Developing the awareness to assess your own movement can be sharpened by understanding a few key attributes or “movement features” 1 Knees in line with the feet and hips that will be examined in this section. 2 Body weight centred over mid-foot 3 Normal low back curvature (avoid rounding and M arching) 4 Normal low back curvature (avoid bending sideways — the shoulders and hips remain parallel) 5 Shoulders and hips rotate together 6 Shoulders down and away from the ears A 7 Shoulders back (elbow and shoulder move in the same direction) Improving your performance and reducing injury risk Integrating or “ingraining” the seven key movement features into your daily activities so that they become habits will go a long way to preventing S injuries to your joints, bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Integrating the seven key features into your daily routines will also help you improve your performance. These key movement features are relevant to everyone, everywhere. They provide a common framework that you, your friends, and your family can use to understand and improve your movement competence in ways that are meaningful to you. Take a look at the next page to see these seven key features in action. Every time you lift an object from the ground, for example, the importance of the seven key features comes into play. 36 Chapter 2 Movement Competence 37  E Movement Matters! Fundamental Movement Patterns Have you ever wondered why some elite or professional athletes have The Benefits of Moving Well The Seven Key Movement Features enjoyed such long careers and have managed to avoid career-ending People who move well know KNEES injuries, while others have not? Similarly, have you ever wondered why how to recruit their muscles to L some of your adult role models have managed to stay fit, healthy, and move their joints in a manner that 1 In line 2 Mid-foot Knee in line with hip/foot Body weight over mid-foot injury-free, while others have experienced poor health or been hurt? reduces the incidence of injury What to look for: What to look for: The answers to these questions are complex. However, one potential and improves their performance. 1 Body from the front 1 Body from the side reason for many of the success stories you hear about is that these Moving well enables them to do 2 Line from hip to toes 2 Line through the middle of foot 3 Position of knee in relation 3 Position of weight in relation individuals are often very competent movers. the things they love to do in ways to line to line that are pain- and injury-free. Who P Medial to the line In front of the line (toes) Learning to move better among us doesn’t want that? On the line On the line (arch) Lateral to the line Behind the line (heel) The good news is that we can all learn to move better, regardless of Coaching tips: Coaching tips: our life’s pursuits and current abilities. We can learn to move more ¾¾ Grip the floor with the toes ¾¾ Push through the floor competently at school, at home, at work, and at play. In order to become ¾¾ Push the knees out ¾¾ Grip the floor with the toes better movers, however, we need a way to categorize or describe the ¾¾ Point knees in direction of toes ¾¾ Hinge at the hips, lean forward various recreational, sport-related, or work-related activities that we perform. LOWER BACK M All human movement, no matter how complex, involves variations 3 & 4 Straight 5 Aligned of general or fundamental movement patterns. These patterns are Normal low back curve Hips and shoulders aligned commonly listed as: What to look for: What to look for: 1 Body from front, back, or side push 1 Body from front, back, or side 2 Two lines through hips/upper 2 Two lines through hips/upper back pull back 3 Distance between the two lines 3 Alignment of the two lines squat A Closer than standing Shoulders rotate more than hips Same as standing Shoulders in line with hips lunge Farther apart than standing Hips rotate more than shoulders hinge Coaching tips: Coaching tips: These patterns can be used to describe and help us better understand ¾¾ Stiffen trunk ¾¾ Let trunk move with hips ¾¾ Use upper/lower body together activities that we perform daily, such as tying our shoes, lifting objects, ¾¾ Dowel touches head, back, hips ¾¾ Rotate with hips ¾¾ Practice with one hand and playing our favourite games and activities. We push or pull to open S doors, and we squat or lunge to pick up objects from the floor. We hinge SHOULDERS every time we bend at the waist. 6 Down 7 Back By reading what follows, you will learn how these fundamental movement Shoulders away from ears Elbow and shoulder together patterns give us a framework for describing, observing, and evaluating What to look for: What to look for: how we perform the complex skills involved in our sport-, work-, or 1 Body from front, back, or side 1 Body from front, back, or side life-related activities. Whether you wish to be an elite athlete or to 2 Two lines through 2 Line from shoulder to elbow ears/shoulders 3 Movement at both ends of line perform everyday tasks safely and efficiently, learning how to perform 3 Distance between the two Move in opposite direction these patterns properly — in particular, by maintaining the seven key lines Move in same direction features — will help you attain your goal. Closer than standing Only one end moves Same as standing Coaching tips: Farther apart than standing ¾¾ Rotate thumbs out when Coaching tips: pulling ¾¾ Elbows down/close to body ¾¾ Pull shoulder blades together ¾¾ Treat motions as push and pull ¾¾ Limit how far elbows are ¾¾ Hold shoulders back pulled back Figure adapted with kind permission of Dr. David Frost. 38 Chapter 2 Movement Competence 39  E Push Push Pull Pull A push movement pattern often involves moving an external object away A pull movement pattern is the opposite of a push movement pattern: from your body or pushing your body away from an object or surface, as generally, you pull an object toward your body, or pull your body toward in a push-up. Most descriptions of pushing as a fundamental movement an object. Like pushing, pulling is typically used to describe the upper L pattern refer to the upper body only. body only. In performing a push pattern, however, actual movement is not always As for pushing, movement is not necessary to use a pull movement necessary. A front plank is a push pattern, for example, as is holding a pattern. Pulling is the act of contracting against a load or resistance. picture up against a wall before hanging it. Hanging from monkey bars, performing an isometric biceps curl, and The push-up is an effective exercise for improving core stability and carrying groceries in both hands are all examples of a pull pattern. P upper-body pushing strength. Push-ups can strengthen the chest, A single-arm tubing row, shown here, is a variation of a pull pattern. This shoulders, triceps, and abdominal muscles (see Chapter 4). exercise can help improve control of key feature number 7— keeping the The push-up is also an excellent exercise for improving control of key shoulders back and elbow and shoulder aligned in the same direction. feature number 3, which focuses on keeping your lower back straight and As everyday examples, we use a pull pattern when we lower window avoiding arching or rounding. shades and pull open fridge doors. We use a pull pattern when kayaking, Properly performed pushing exercises require precise levels of motor sailing, wind-surfing, and rock climbing. Shooting a bow and arrow control, functional strength, and body alignment that can be achieved involves both pushing and pulling patterns. M through practice and repetition. Pushing a small suitcase overhead to stow it away in a closet and pushing a grocery cart, lawnmower, snow shovel, or a snow blower are examples of pushing movements used in daily life. Pushing tactics in football and rugby are examples of pushing movements used in sports. When an offensive lineman pushes against a defensive A lineman to create space for a throwing or running play, the offensive lineman is using a push pattern. 40 S Chapter 2 Movement Competence 41  E Squat Squat Lunge Lunge Frequently, a squat movement pattern requires lowering your body The lunge movement pattern generally involves one leg extended or bent weight by bending your ankles and knees. A squat movement pattern is in front of the body while the other leg is extended or bent behind the unique to the lower body compared to pushing and pulling. body. This pattern includes any form of gait: walking, running, skipping, L Doing a squat exercise like the one shown here builds overall leg strength, and so on. Like the squat pattern, the lunge pattern is specific to the especially in the muscles that affect the hips, knees, and ankles. lower body. To perform a squat exercise properly, start by using your own body weight You can do a lunge exercise in any direction — forward, backward, and as resistance. You can then increase the level of difficulty by adding sideways. The forward lunge exercise, shown here, is an excellent way further resistance using dowelling, dumbbells, barbells, or kettlebells. to build strength in the muscles that affect the hips, knees, and ankles, depending on how it is performed. Safe and effective performance of a P This exercise can help improve control of key feature number 2 — body lunge exercise involves integrating and maintaining control of key feature weight over mid-foot — to enhance performance and reduce risk of injury. number 1: keeping your knees in line with your hips and your feet. We use a squat pattern every time we get in and out of a car, sit down, and Activities such as gardening, tying your shoelaces, and picking something get up off a chair. Baseball catchers, wrestlers, and football players use up off the ground all involve the lunge pattern. Key feature number 1 is a squat pattern when performing their sport-specific activities. Jumping relevant here: whether you are running after a ball or cross-country skiing, for a rebound in basketball is a squat pattern, as are all two-foot jumps. your knees should always be in line with your hips and your feet. Snowboarding, skateboarding, and surfing all involve a squat pattern. Pitching in baseball, hitting a ball in cricket, and performing a dig in M volleyball all require players to use a lunge pattern. 42 S A Chapter 2 Movement Competence 43  E Hinge Hinge The hinge movement pattern (also known as the “hip hinge pattern”) describes any movement that involves flexion and extension of the hips. Ideally, the spine will be kept in a neutral position to prevent injury, Section 2.2 Review 1 Why would you encourage someone to maintain the seven key features while performing L maximize performance, or improve quality of life. daily activities? 2 Why is it helpful to categorize For example, a basic understanding and use of this pattern can help our activities by key feature and prevent lower back injuries when you are picking objects off the ground, movement pattern? going from a sitting position to a standing position, moving furniture, or even brushing your teeth. Think back to key features number 3 (no arching 3 Give an everyday example that or rounding), number 4 (no lateral bend), and number 5 (no twisting). involves each fundamental P movement pattern. The hip hinge is important for performance as well. It is the basis of the athletic-ready stance, it is critical to the vertical jump, and it is the dominant pattern in sports such as rowing. Track athletes also begin their race by adopting a hinge pattern to position themselves in the blocks. Baseball players hinge when accelerating forward to chase down a ground ball. Basketball players hinge when dribbling the ball to avoid defenders. A M 44 S Chapter 2 Movement Competence 45 Fundamental movement patterns are everywhere! This student is using a pulling and a pushing movement pattern to place his books into his locker.  E 2.3 2.3 Learning Movement Skills How do we learn, and then refine or improve, our movement skills? A skill is the ability we have developed to perform an activity well, Building skills, building proficiency Let’s apply these stages to the example of learning a tennis serve. Cognitive stage. Often we are shown (or we read about) what is involved in performing a proficient tennis serve, and then we try it out. L especially because we have practised it. Learning a skill usually involves Trying it out reinforces our understanding so that we form a general a gradual rather than an abrupt transition or change in the learner’s idea of what is involved in a tennis serve. This thinking process occurs performance. in the early stages of developing any skill, from learning a gymnastics tumble to learning to play chess to playing a new piece on a musical The Stages of Learning a Skill instrument. Whether in physical activities, sports, or any other area, experts such as Associative stage. Next, we practise the skill continuously, preferably P teachers, coaches, and psychologists typically break down learning a skill with a mentor, coach, or teammate, until the technique has been into three stages: learned. This can take a long time, depending on the level of If you wanted to learn archery, what complexity of the skill. This stage involves not only practice but also 1 cognitive — understanding the basics of the skill in question specific things would you need to learn, reinforcement and continuous rethinking. On the other hand, we and how would you go about learning 2 associative — refining the skill by learning from your mistakes sometimes end up learning a skill on our own though trial and error, them? The skills required to be a 3 autonomic — performing the skill as though it is almost automatic proficient archer require the same stages exploring a range of movement solutions to achieve a specific task of learning (cognitive, associative, and These stages provide insight into what is involved in learning and objective (in this case, putting the tennis ball in the square on the autonomic) described here, along with improving skills. In real life, these stages are not separate and discrete; M other side of the net). awareness, practice, and perseverance. they overlap and often do not follow an exact progression. Autonomic stage. Finally, the skill begins to become almost automatic. At this stage, not a lot of conscious thought goes into performing the basic action itself, although other thoughts about speed and placement may come into play on the tennis court. The person is able to “just do” the skill. A Many highly skilled tennis players in this final stage of learning can serve with great precision almost automatically. It is important, however, to distinguish between “automatic” and “good.” Simply because someone has rehearsed a particular skill for years does S not always mean that they are proficient. Sometimes the movement skills that have been rehearsed are inefficient. This is why so many of us can develop “bad habits” when learning movement skills. Repeatedly performing a skill in an incorrect manner (because it has become automatic) can lead to injury and less-than- perfect performance. This is where the seven key features and the fundamental movement patterns can play a beneficial role. They can help us correct incorrect practice by increasing our awareness of our own movement behaviours so we can make conscious improvements. Perfect practice makes perfect ! 46 Chapter 2 Movement Competence 47  E Types of Movement Skills Refining your skills The importance of feedback and support Many movement skills fall into one Learning certain movement skills and becoming reasonably proficient at In many cases, you cannot learn a skill entirely on your own; at least, it will of three categories: stability (in them do not happen without effort. To gain a level of proficiency means be more difficult to do so. You often need feedback and support from your this context, whole-body stability), going through the stages of acquiring a skill at the pace that makes the classmates and from your teacher or coach. This is especially true when L locomotion, and manipulation: most sense. Often, the key to success is practice and more practice. learning skills related to physical activities, games, and sports. Stability skills involve the body Depending on the skill, the learning process will take time. Maximizing Teachers and coaches have vast experience that they can share with balancing in one place (static how that time is used lies behind the notion of deliberate practice. you. They know how to break a skill down into its component parts (key balance; e.g., standing on a balance features, patterns, and/or phases, if applicable), how to help you improve Deliberate practice is purposeful and systematic. beam) or balancing in motion your movement competence, and how to help you stay motivated. It involves focused attention and having a specific goal of (dynamic balance; e.g., doing a improvement in mind. There are also technological tools at your disposal to provide P rotation on the beam). Deliberate practice is mindful repetition. feedback. Slow-motion video, for example, is relatively inexpensive yet Locomotion skills involve the It involves constant feedback, thinking, and reflection about how sophisticated. You can record yourself or a friend performing a skill and body moving in any direction (e.g., Teachers and coaches are there to to improve. analyze your movement to see what is going well or not so well. Knowing walking, running, jumping, and support your goals, assess your skill what to look for — starting with the key features — and having a strong hopping). Again, this is where the seven key features can play a helpful role. For development, and help you stay example, using key feature number 1 (knees in line with hips and feet) can support network make learning with such tools easier and more fun. motivated. Manipulation skills include throwing and catching skills or prevent the knees from collapsing when a jump is performed. skills related to striking with the No one truly knows the influence of human genetics on performance. M hands, the feet, or an implement What we do know for sure is that genes do not entirely determine (e.g., kicking, volleying, batting, and performance. It is similar to being dealt a hand while playing cards. You dribbling). will have a stronger chance if you happen to be dealt a better hand, but you also need to play the hand well to win. Deliberate practice is about learning to play well with whatever “innate talents” you may have. A It would be difficult to find anyone who has achieved a level of skill proficiency in any field who has not put in the time. Wayne Gretzky, Canada’s most famous hockey player, freely acknowledges that he was not naturally gifted in terms of size and speed. He has said that everything he did in hockey he worked hard to achieve. As he put it, “the only way a kid is going to practise is if it’s total fun…and it was for me.” 48 S Ultimate is just one example of a game that involves moving from stability to instability, to locomotion, and to manipulation all at once. Chapter 2 Movement Competence 49  E The Phases of Performing a Skill Movement Skill Transferability Many people seem able to acquire a new movement skill almost naturally. Not all movement skills can be broken down into distinct phases. Riding a More often than not, this is because they have built on the component bicycle and brushing your teeth are but two examples. However, breaking parts of a skill — key features along with fundamental movement L a discrete movement skill such as throwing or kicking into its various patterns — that then transfer readily to a similar skill. For example, a skill phases is a useful way to identify your strengths and weaknesses with a they have learned that relies on a squat pattern may be relevant in the view to further improvement. Teachers and coaches do this all the time. context of another activity. Therefore, rehearsing the first skill repeatedly A teacher or coach will focus on how a student performs during each may also influence the performance of the second skill. phase of a skill, identify strengths and weaknesses, and offer advice as to Skill transferability can occur when activities involve similar fundamental what the student can do to execute that phase more effectively. movement patterns and key features. For example, the pushing, pulling, P The four phases of a movement skill are usually identified as: and lunging movement patterns used in snowshoeing and cross- country skiing are quite similar to each other. Both activities also involve the preparation phase controlling the position of the knees in relation to the hips and feet (key the force production phase feature number 1). Thus, the skills involved in these two activities are the critical instant phase likely to be transferable. the recovery and follow-through phase Skill transferability is more likely to take place across activities of a similar Let’s briefly look at each phase in turn, continuing with the tennis serve as nature, such as the net games of volleyball and tennis. The tennis serve M well as a few other examples. and the volleyball overhand serve are different, but there are obvious similarities. Ice hockey and field hockey are also quite different, but they The preparation phase are similar in many respects. The preparation phase involves getting a secure footing and a firm grip The fundamental movement patterns (push, pull, squat, lunge, and hinge) on the racquet, then beginning to bring the joints and muscles into action. prepare us to perform other activities that involve these patterns. These The quadriceps and gluteal muscles of the hip and thigh play an important fundamental movement patterns are the component parts of all the A role in generating power on the serve, as does the swinging of the racquet. movement skills that we will perform in sports and in other contexts. “Winding up” is another term for the preparation phase in tennis. Experiencing a variety of fundamental movement patterns is especially The force production phase important in the younger years, but we can benefit from such experience Power on the tennis serve is produced from the hips, legs, shoulder, elbow, at any stage of our lives. and wrist action occurring in a well-coordinated sequence. Uncoiling the various positions reached in the preparation stage and timing them S accurately are the keys to a powerful serve. The critical instant phase In a tennis serve, the “critical instant” is when the entire wrist finally snaps into play and the tennis ball is struck — all the momentum built up in the swing is transferred to the tennis ball at that point. In a jump shot in basketball, the critical instant is when the ball finally leaves the fingers. For a slap-shot in hockey, the critical instant is the moment when the hockey stick makes contact with the puck. The recovery and follow-through phase Typically, experienced tennis players will have both feet off the ground You can see skill transferability in when they finally strike the ball on the serve. Finishing the serving motion, action when you compare, for example, a volleyball serve to a tennis serve or landing, and then regaining balance are important aspects of the recovery snowshoeing to cross-country skiing. and follow-though phase. Coaches and teachers will be alert to this phase, providing advice to ensure that their player is ready for the return shot. 50 Chapter 2 Movement Competence 51  E Fundamental Sports Skills Building Personal Confidence Section 2.3 Review Sport for Life has identified a series of fundamental sports skills that Personal confidence is an important part of tackling new skills of any 1 What are the three stages of they believe are important to learn, especially in the early years. The kind. Some people find that competence in one skill can increase their skill acquisition? Describe each hope is that once a certain level of competence has been established the confidence in trying to learn a related skill or an entirely new one. stage with reference to learning L following skills become transferable: a new movement skill. Personal confidence comes from knowing how to do something 2 Watch a classmate perform throwing catching striking reasonably well — something to build on, as it were. Once you have a sport skill. Analyze your running jumping kicking gained a degree of proficiency in a particular skill, you may find that you classmate’s movement during feel confident enough to go on to learn other skills and perhaps help agility, balance, and coordination (“ABCs”) each phase of the skill. classmates, friends, or family members learn those skills as well. Sport for Life has created a list of Being competent in these skills may help to facilitate your ability to 3 Give an example of a movement P suggested sports and activities that Consider the following example. The physical ability to throw an effective participate in a wide range of sports and activities. Gaining proficiency in skill (sport or otherwise) that can showcase skill transferability. Can underhand pitch in softball may not directly transfer to performing a readily transfer to a different you think of others? performing these skills is part of becoming an all-round, competent mover. jump-shot in basketball. Nevertheless, the confidence that comes from activity. being able to throw an underhand pitch might give you the confidence to sepak takraw approach the task of learning a jump-shot and becoming proficient at it. soccer basketball On the other hand, some people have all the confidence in the world volleyball but lack competence. Confidence can sometimes actually impede the track & field development of competence. This accounts for why people get hurt on M If you can  run you might enjoy  squash occasion while exercising or playing sports. Conversely, some people have rugby badminton developed a lot of competence but lack the motivation or the confidence tennis in their abilities to engage in a sport, game, or activity — perhaps because cricket they were told at an early age that they were not good enough. Acquiring any skill, from the least to most complex, may give you baseball Confidence and competence emerge by focusing on the things that really the confidence to tackle acquiring softball A matter — starting with key features and fundamental movement patterns. new ones. bowling soccer If you can  throw you might enjoy  goalball football rugby tchoukball S swimming diving water polo If you can  swim you might enjoy  scuba diving kayaking sailing surfing bocce basketball rugby If you can  wheel you might enjoy  racing power soccer curling tennis 52 Chapter 2 Movement Competence 53  E 2.4 2.4 Movement Principles How can you become a more competent mover? To answer this question, let’s review what you have learned so far. Improvement is all about focus Improving our movement competence involves exploration and figuring things out — giving ourselves opportunities to feel what it is like to experience movement that is proficient, fun, and enjoyable. We can get L better at movement through exposure to a wide variety of experiences You have looked at the concepts of demands and capacity in order to and trying out different ways of moving. However, we can also develop provide the context for why movement matters to you. Demands tell some bad habits, such as rounding or arching our backs when lifting. us what our lives look like, and capacity tells us whether we have the ability, motivation, awareness, and so on to perform activities safely Here are some recommendations for reinforcing the seven key features and effectively. and building a “movement library” that can be applied to any number of You have learned about observing and assessing your own and other activities in sport, work, or life. P people’s movements in terms of seven key features and movement It is important to challenge yourself — but start slowly. Begin with patterns. small steps and progress gradually toward your goals. This section describes three movement principles that you can apply Focus on movements, not muscles. Develop an appreciation for how to improve the way you move. Knowing about and applying these a movement looks before thinking about the muscles involved. Which principles can help you build your movement competence in various muscles are involved will depend on how the movement is performed. contexts — daily life, school, sports, or work — depending on your current Always link your movements back to the seven key features and capacity and place on your physical literacy journey. fundamental movement patterns. Check to see whether you are M Before looking at the three movement principles, let’s start with a few maintaining the relevant key features every time you move. general recommendations. Train with a purpose. Focus on what you really want to do. Revisit the demands that life places on you, and train not just for the sake of training, but with those specific demands in mind. Improve the transfer of movement skills by emphasizing the seven key features. Keep going back to those basics and keep it simple. A Become aware of the seven key features in everything you do so they become a habit. Focus on the process and cultivating enjoyment while developing physical literacy. Ultimately, it is all about having fun! S While there are a number of movement principles that shape the way we move, knowing what to look for — the seven key features, for example — is a great place to start. Remember that it is important to keep your attention focused first and foremost on what you look like when you move and on the factors that influence how you move. In addition to the person, the environment, and the task, these factors always include the seven key features. 54 Chapter 2 Movement Competence 55  E Movement Principles Maintaining Stability Stability and instability work together Principle 1: Stability increases as the Stability, in the context of physical activity, refers to one’s body being in Lowering the centre of mass and keeping it within the base of support centre of gravity becomes lower, the a state of balance. Even walking requires stability. We all need to maintain improves the chances that a wrestler will be stable when contacted by an base of support becomes larger, the and control our balance, or whole-body stability, to perform tasks and opponent. If the position of the centre of mass moves outside the base of L line of gravity moves nearer to the participate in physical activities and sports. support, however, it becomes much easier for an opponent to knock the centre of the base of support, and the wrestler off balance. mass becomes greater. Among other things, stability depends on these four factors: Stability and instability affect how dancers, surfers, gymnasts, Mass: the quantity of matter contained within an object or body skateboarders, cyclists, circus performers, skaters, and many others move. Centre of mass: an imaginary point around which an individual’s mass is concentrated. (When we stand upright with our arms hanging at Here are two examples. P our sides, our centre of mass is located in the middle of our bodies at Surfing. A surfer will be most stable when she bends her knees, about the level of the navel.) crouches low, and keeps her feet wide apart, thus lowering her centre Base of support: the supporting area beneath an object or body of mass while producing a stable base of support for herself. Position of the centre of mass: a position relative to the base of If the position of the surfer’s centre of mass moves, or is moved, support as defined by the line of gravity — an imaginary vertical line outside the base of support, the surfer will find herself in an unstable that passes through the centre of mass to the ground position. Even a slight shift in the position of the surfer’s centre of In general, whole-body stability increases when mass increases, because mass will cause the surfer to fall off the board. M the more mass an individual has, the greater the resistance to going from Cross-country skiing or sit-skiing. If you are cross-country skiing a state of rest to a state of motion, or from a state of motion to a state of or sit-skiing, you need to work constantly to maintain your rest. This accounts for the large amounts of mass that often characterize balance. As you change speed, turn, and react to the the bodies of wrestlers and offensive and defensive linemen in football. unevenness of the ground, you have to absorb a When lining up prior to the snap of the football, linemen crouch to lower variety of forces and redistribute your body their centre of mass. This makes the linemen more stable and better able weight. The most important factor to consider A to stand their ground when they are blocked or contacted by oncoming is the effect of your body’s centre of gravity opponents. The stability of the linemen is also enhanced when they on you