Skill Acquisition Clickview Answers

What Is A Skill
1) In motor terms, a skill is a directly correlated set of movements, usually of a relatively complex nature in relation to the individual, that is used to achieve a goal; All skills MUST be learnt, they are not hereditary.
2) A simple skill is a skill that has a low degree of difficulty to perform, and takes a short time to learn. A complex skill has a higher degree of difficulty, and takes longer to learn.

The Learning Process
1) To begin with, the skill was demonstrated by a trained juggler with a good technique, who then broke down the skill into components for the students. Once the students began practising/learning the skill, they began to learn the complexities of the skill: they processed what was happening as they threw the balls up, and made a decision on what action needed to be taken next (ie throw the ball higher, at a straighter angle etc), and acting on it. Once this self assessment has been made, the trainer will offer more advice: Telling them what they are doing correctly, what they need to improve on. The cycle then repeats itself: They watch another demo by the trainer illustrating what he is saying, they think about this, have a go again, and get feedback. Some students improved quicker than others because they had a greater level of coordination, confidence, judgement, or prior experience.
2) If we don't know how our technique is going, we can never improve upon it, and thus learn. if we are told what we are doing wrong, we can plan to improve on this, and continue to do what we are doing well. This is true not only in sport, but in all learning: you can't learn to write strong essays without getting told about where your argument could be made stronger.

Characteristics Of The Learner
2) a) If I have a majority of fast twitch fibres, I am going to be more suited to strength & power events, such as sprinting, weightlifting, etc, and less suited to endurance events, such as the marathon; while if I had a majority of slow twitch fibres, it would be the opposite, having a greater aptitude for endurance.
    b) Each persons somatotype is important as, for example, it is much more suitable for a sumo wrestler to be an endomorph than an ectomorph, because of the nature of the sport. In this way, their is a direct correlation between a persons somatotype, and how successful they are in their chosen sport.
    c) Males would, genetically speaking, do much better at weightlifting, than females, as well as run faster.
    d) The more intelligent a juggler is (for example), the easier and quicker they can make the best decision to learn in the most efficient way possible.
3) By setting realistic goals for the athlete, and by giving as much positive (truthful) feedback as they can.
4) - Someone who is good at baseball would find it easier to take up cricket, due to the skill crossover (Hook/pull shot, Back foot defence, fielding), than a total novice.
    - A soccer goalkeeper would have a greater chance to learn AFL football quickly than someone who had never experienced either sport.
5) Ability is the capacity to learn new skills quickly, and perform old skills with increased precision each time: ie A footballer (Karmichael Hunt) learning to kick a Sherrin with a drop-punt action, then performing this new skill under pressure without a lapse in technique.
6) Age- "You can't teach an old dog new tricks."
    Emotion- controlling one's emotions can, at times, be just as important as ones ability to perform a skill.
    Fitness- You will find it easier to learn a new motor skill if your fitness level is comparatively high