1. Specialized Movement Skills ©Gallahue, D.L., Ozmun, J.C., & Goodway, J.D. (2012). Understanding Motor Development. Boston: McGraw-Hill. McGraw-Hill/Irwin © 2012 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved.

2. 16-2 Development of specialized movement skills is highly dependent upon opportunities for practice, encouragement, quality instruction, and the ecological context of the environment

3. 16-3  Specialized Skills Defined:  Proficient Fundamental Movement Skills that have been further refined & combined: (figure 16.1)  Developmental Potential :  Locomotor & Stability skills: Proficient stage potential by 6  Manipulative skills: Proficient stage potential by age 7 or 8  Developmental Reality : Oftentimes lag behind because of:  Insufficient opportunities for practice  Lack of encouragement and motivation to perform  Ineffective or absent appropriate instruction  Ecological context of the environment  The Proficiency Barrier :  Inability to move from the Fundamental Movement Skill Phase to the Specialized Skill Phase due to lack of proficiency in locomotor, manipulative or stability skill(s)

4. 16-4  Transition Stage: First attempts to refine & combine fundamental skills  Interest is high, ability is limited  Skill focus shifts from process to product  A “getting the idea” period  Application Stage : Regular attempts to refine & apply specialized skills  Emphasis is on improving proficiency  A “practice” period  More complex skills refined  Lifelong Utilization Stage : Self-selection for participation in activities  Lifetime activity choices: Determined by interests, abilities, ambitions, availability, time  A “fine tuning” stage  Regular participation in daily living, recreational, or competitive settings

5. 16-5  Youth Sport is Big :  Interest is high but the drop out rate is huge: 20-35 million from 6-18 in the USA (see Developmental Dilemma)  Sport skills: Proficient fundamental movement skills refined, combined, adapted to a particular competitive setting (figure 16.1 and tables 16.3-16.10)  Early & later specialization sports (table 16.1)  Training to Competition Ratio: (table 16.2)  Recommendations for the Fundamental Movement Skill Phase: Initial, emerging elementary and proficient stages  Recommendations for the Specialized Movement Skill Phase: Transition, application and lifelong utilization stages  Why Kids Join Sports Programs :  Increase physical competence: Learn new skills & improve skills  Gain social acceptance & approval: Be with and make new friends  Enjoyment: Have fun and do something interesting

6. 16-6  The Instructor :  Parent  Teacher  Coach  Therapist  Fosters Improvement :  Movement control  Emotional control  Learning enjoyment  By Maximizing Motivation for :  Participation  Adherence  Success

7. 16-7  People learn at different rates.  Potential for performance excellence is individualized  Proficiency in Fundamental skills is prerequisite to success in Specialized skills  Responses to instructional approaches vary among learners  Responses to winning and losing vary among individuals  Responses to praise and criticism, reward and punishment vary among individuals  Prior experiences vary among individuals  Variations in home-life experiences influence people differently  Strengths in some areas can compensate for deficiencies in others  Attention spans and concentration abilities vary among individuals  Developmental levels vary, resulting in dissimilar potential for learning & performance  There is little uniformity in physical potentials, particularly in the pre-teen and early pubescent period  Individuals display greater or lesser degrees of both gross and fine motor skills  The ability to visualize, analyze and problem solve varies among individuals

8. 16-8  Identify the Type of Skill:  Open or Closed: AKA ‘externally’ or ‘internally’ paced  Gross or Fine  Discrete, Serial or Continuous  Stability, Locomotor or Manipulative  Establish Appropriate Practice Environment  Introduce externally paced activities under internally paced conditions first  Open use of skills: As skill develops, introduce situations that require responses to sudden and unpredictable cues in externally paced activities  Closed use of skills: As skill develops, strive for greater consistency, duplication, and elimination of environmental influences for internally paced activities

9. 16-9  During the Early Stages :  Help the learner “think through” the skill  As Skill Develops :  Help the learner “screen out” unnecessary cues  Know & Respect :  Cognitive state of the learner  Goals of the learner

10. 16-10  Fitts & Posner: A three stage model focusing on the cognitive state of the learner  Cognitive stage : Learner forms a conscious mental plan  Associative stage : Learner associates meaningful environmental cues with specific skill requirements  Autonomous stage : Learner performs the skill in an habitual ‘unconscious’ manner

11. 16-11  Gentile: A two stage model focusing on the goals of the learner  Getting the idea stage : Learner strives for a basic awareness of skill requirements  Fixation/diversification stage : Learner strives for greater consistency & adaptability in performance

12. 16-12  Gallahue’s Combination Model of Skill Learning looks at:  Cognitive state of the learner: Fitts & Posner  Goals of the learner: Gentile  Role of the instructor: Gallahue

13. 16-13  Beginning/Novice level  Awareness stage  E xploratory stage  Discovery stage  Intermediate/Practice Level  Combination stage  A pplication stage  Advanced/Fine Tuning Level  Performance stage  I ndividualized stage

14. 16-14  Promote cognitive awareness with visual demonstrations of the skill  Be brief and introduce only major aspects of the skill  Permit the learner to try out the skill early  Provide plenty of opportunity for exploration and self- discovery of the general elements of the skill  Remember, this is primarily a cognitive stage and that the learner’s goal is to get the general idea of the skill  Compare the new skill, when possible, to similar skills with which the learner may be familiar  Provide immediate, precise and positive feedback focused on general aspects of the skill  Avoid situations that place emphasis on the product of the learners performance; focus instead on the process

15. 16-15  Provide plenty of opportunities for practice  Provide opportunities for skill refinement in a supportive, nonthreatening environment  Devise practice situations that progressively focus on greater skill refinement  Provide short, fast-paced practice sessions with frequent breaks before implementing longer sessions with fewer breaks  Help the learner self-analyze the task and then provide constructive feedback  Structure quality practice sessions that focus on quality performance (i.e., “perfect practice makes perfect”)  Accommodate for individual differences in the rate of skill learning  Focus attention on the whole skill whenever possible  Set up practice sessions that simulate the intensity and demands of the real-life daily living, recreational, or competitive situation

16. 16-16  Structure practice sessions that promote intensity and enthusiasm  Be available to provide encouragement, motivation, and positive support  Offer suggestions and tips on strategy  Structure practice sessions that duplicate real-life situations  Help learner anticipate her or his actions in game-like situations  Know the learner as an individual and be able to adjust methods to meet individual needs  Provide feedback that focuses on specific aspects of the skill  Avoid asking the learner to verbalize performance of the skill, which might result in “analysis paralysis

17. 16-17  The Two Components of Reaction Time:  Premotor time (‘Thinking time’): Time between presentation of the stimuli and initiation of a response; can be improved with training  Motor time (‘Response time’): Time from initiation of a response to its completion; difficult to improve  Instructor Goals for Improving Premotor Time :  Help learner focus on relevant stimuli; learn to tune out the ‘noise’  Help learner know and quickly anticipate likely response options  Techniques for Improving Thinking Time :  Rapid movement skill training: Help learner complete the task with maximum consistency in minimal time and with minimal energy  High intensity training: Focus on intensity of training, not duration; simulate competitive-like situations; modify equipment & size of the play area; practicing against higher level opponents.

18. 16-18  Is there sufficient time for change?  Does the learner want to make the change?  Does the learner know why the change is being made?  Does the learner understand that performance will regress before it progresses?  Will the instructor be available for support & encouragement?  Will the instructor construct progressive practice sessions?

19. 16-19 Acquisition of specialized movement skills is a developmental process requiring knowledgeable instructors dedicated to continual improvement by maximizing learner motivation for participation, success adherence and enjoyment