1. 1 SPEED

2. 2 What is Speed? Speed means being able to cover a distance or perform a movement in the quickest possible time. It involves how quickly the muscles can move the joints. This can involve the whole body e.g a sprinter. It may only use part of the body e.g. a cricketer must pull his bowling arm forward very quickly.

3. 3 Why is speed important? In many activities speed is necessary to perform certain skills. e.g. perform a smash in badminton ( More power opponent is unable to play it or plays a weak return. In many team/Individual games, short bursts of near maximum speed are often needed. In football beating a defender to the ball. In Tennis, speed allows you to get to the ball quickly to be able to play a good return.

4. 4 Reaction Time Reaction time is an important part of speed: it is the length of time from the cue to the first muscular contraction in response. Here is a sprinter and a tennis player both are ‘ready’. Both react to a signal or cue. The sprinter explodes out of the blocks on the sound of a gun. The tennis player moves in relation to seeing the server’s arm.

5. 5 Improving reaction time Reaction time can be improved by practicing in situations similar to the activity e.g. a series of sprint starts.

6. 6 Running speed Your running speed depends on a number of factors. Range of movement in ankles, hips, shoulders Correct technique Force exerted by leading leg Ability of muscles to cope with lactic acid Stride length and frequency of strides Strength of muscles (quadriceps, gluteals, gastrocnemius )

7. 7 Improving speed Speed can be improved through training. You need to work muscle groups for short intervals at a relatively high intensity. Programme of strength training – strengthens leg muscles (contract at a faster rate) Programme of aerobic and anaerobic work where an individual is asked to work for extended periods at near maximum ( e.g Shuttle Sprints). Increases muscular endurance, allowing muscles to improve ability to cope with lactic acid. Programme of flexibility exercises – improves flexibility of ankles, hips and shoulders.

8. 8 Flexibility Flexibility is the range of movement across a joint. This gymnast has good flexibility. The gymnast shows static flexibility, he is holding a fixed position.

9. 9 Static flexibility is important when attempting the splits. Judges are looking for correct body position in the splits (good hip extension)

10. 10 Improving flexibility After warming up, the gymnast should choose stretches which stretch the muscles across the hip joint and hold the stretch as far as he can. Stretching should be done everyday for maximum effect and to allow for the splits to be performed.

11. 11 Exercises to maintain and improve flexibility are usually static or active exercises. STATIC – hold a stretched position for a few seconds ACTIVE – using movement to move a body part of joint

12. 12 Dynamic flexibility is another type of flexibility. It is different from static flexibility because the action being performed is fast and is not held for anytime. E.g. a karate competitor needs to be able to kick high and fast.

13. 13 In rugby, dynamic flexibility in the hips is important for a goal kicker. A big range of movement across hips means he has a bigger follow through allowing him to kick further.

14. 14 A swimmer needs good dynamic flexibility in the shoulders. A big range of movement across the shoulder joints means the swimmer is able to make each stroke bigger. This allows her to swim further with each stroke.

15. 15 Flexibility test You can test your flexibility by doing the sit and reach test.