I think this lab was one of the most applicable. I came into it unable to juggle and by the end I was able to do pretty well. This may have been, in part, because of past experience with baseball which involved handling a ball of similar size to the one used for the experiment. However, regardless of past experience I think that using the part practice method is a very effective method for learning a skill such as juggling.
This reason the part practice method is effective is because this skill can be broken up into different parts. In order to master the skill it requires one to reach the point of being automatic with each ball. Because it is a rapid moving skill that does not give the participant much time to think. Breaking the skill up into the three separate parts we did allows the participant to slowly progress from an easier skill, tossing one ball, to the harder and eventually the hardest, juggling three balls.
This is not to say the practicing all the balls at one time is not an effective method. For some this method may be a shorter method. It truly depends on the learner and their past experiences. It also depends on the skill being learned. But in my lab experience, the learning using the part method had much more improvement compared to the participant who tried to learn all at once.
Two other types of practice that would have been effective for this practice would be spatial coordination and complex temporal coordination. Temporal coordination would help the participant do two different motions with his hands. This is necessary when juggling because neither hand will be doing the same motion at the same time. Spatial coordination would help the participant form a pattern of moving both hands in the necessary motions.
There are many different ways to practice. I think that each individual has a specific type of practice that will provide optimum performance. It is important to figure out which is the most effective for you in order to optimize performance of skills and everyday tasks
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
PDFE #13
When receiving extrinsic feedback it is key for the instructor to insure his feedback is doing what it is supposed to. For this PDFE I observed a Berry College men’s soccer practice. During the time of which I observed the players were practicing defended shooting. I did notice motivation and reinforcement. I did not notice any information being giving or dependence upon this information. Which I feel is expect because it is a college team who should have learned the skill well and would not need too much of nor depend upon extrinsic feedback.
Motivation is what drives an athlete to play harder for someone or something. For this reason it’s an important facet to give in feedback. I saw this in the practice after many drills and the players would start to get tired. The coach would motivate the players to push further to get better at the skill they were practicing.
Reinforcement is also key in feedback. I saw examples of this when the players would successfully complete a task. Whether it be the attacker scoring a goal, the defender stopping the attacker, or the goalie stopping a shot, the coach would positively enforce the successful completion of the skill. I think this can tie into motivation as well. In positively reinforcing the successful completion of the skill, he can also motivate the players to become even better and play harder.
I did not see any representation of the information aspect of feedback. There was one occasion in which there was some information feedback. After the attacker struggled on consecutive attempts the coach brought him over and reminded him of his fundamentals, reminding him to better set his feet on the shot for better accuracy. I think one would see much more of this in situations with less skilled players. On a college team one would expect that the players have the skills well practiced.
The last aspect was not present at all in the practice I attended. This is dependence on the feedback. Because the participants were well skilled they knew what it took to successfully completely the skill and did not need to rely on anyone else to tell them if they were correctly doing it. However, an example of dependence would be someone learning the fundamentals of pitching a baseball. Many times it is hard to know if your full motion is balanced and correct because it is possible to throw a successful pitch without a fully perfected motion. One could become dependent on the feedback given.
Feedback is key to learning. However, if one becomes dependent it can severely halt ones learning experience. As a coach it is important to learn how to properly give feedback so that students learn how to intrinsically give feedback and learn how to properly perform a skill
Motivation is what drives an athlete to play harder for someone or something. For this reason it’s an important facet to give in feedback. I saw this in the practice after many drills and the players would start to get tired. The coach would motivate the players to push further to get better at the skill they were practicing.
Reinforcement is also key in feedback. I saw examples of this when the players would successfully complete a task. Whether it be the attacker scoring a goal, the defender stopping the attacker, or the goalie stopping a shot, the coach would positively enforce the successful completion of the skill. I think this can tie into motivation as well. In positively reinforcing the successful completion of the skill, he can also motivate the players to become even better and play harder.
I did not see any representation of the information aspect of feedback. There was one occasion in which there was some information feedback. After the attacker struggled on consecutive attempts the coach brought him over and reminded him of his fundamentals, reminding him to better set his feet on the shot for better accuracy. I think one would see much more of this in situations with less skilled players. On a college team one would expect that the players have the skills well practiced.
The last aspect was not present at all in the practice I attended. This is dependence on the feedback. Because the participants were well skilled they knew what it took to successfully completely the skill and did not need to rely on anyone else to tell them if they were correctly doing it. However, an example of dependence would be someone learning the fundamentals of pitching a baseball. Many times it is hard to know if your full motion is balanced and correct because it is possible to throw a successful pitch without a fully perfected motion. One could become dependent on the feedback given.
Feedback is key to learning. However, if one becomes dependent it can severely halt ones learning experience. As a coach it is important to learn how to properly give feedback so that students learn how to intrinsically give feedback and learn how to properly perform a skill
PDFE #12
The two types of extrinsic feedback are knowledge of results and knowledge of performance. Knowledge of results simply has to do with the final product. In other words know whether or not the participant missed the target. Knowledge of performance has to do with how much one may have missed the target or the quality of the procedure. Both of these are necessary in order for learning to occur.
In our lab I was participant who always received knowledge of results and of course my partner was the participant who had to request it. In our lab the results were opposite to what the book would suggest. I, the participant who always received KR, did better than my partner who always had to ask for it. I think that this is because neither of us had actually learned the skill. Many times she would be right on the mark, but because she didn’t ask for her result lead her to miss on the next attempt. She asked for results fifteen times and the only times she would be right on the mark would be after she asked for her results. Also, almost every time she asked for results she would do better. Like I mentioned before, in this procedure the participant who consistently received KR did better. This was exactly what I expected simply because neither of us had learned the skill. And because we were blind folded we could not receive intrinsic results. No feedback, leads to no learning.
The blind fold was definitely a big hindrance to learning. Many times my partner would be very consistent. Unfortunately she was consistently missing. There was an instance when she hit the same place on the paper three times in a row. But, they were all three of the mark.
Feedback is an essential part of learning a skill. It’s very important to receive extrinsic feedback so that the participant does not learn the skill correctly and it also helps one give them self correct intrinsic feedback.
In our lab I was participant who always received knowledge of results and of course my partner was the participant who had to request it. In our lab the results were opposite to what the book would suggest. I, the participant who always received KR, did better than my partner who always had to ask for it. I think that this is because neither of us had actually learned the skill. Many times she would be right on the mark, but because she didn’t ask for her result lead her to miss on the next attempt. She asked for results fifteen times and the only times she would be right on the mark would be after she asked for her results. Also, almost every time she asked for results she would do better. Like I mentioned before, in this procedure the participant who consistently received KR did better. This was exactly what I expected simply because neither of us had learned the skill. And because we were blind folded we could not receive intrinsic results. No feedback, leads to no learning.
The blind fold was definitely a big hindrance to learning. Many times my partner would be very consistent. Unfortunately she was consistently missing. There was an instance when she hit the same place on the paper three times in a row. But, they were all three of the mark.
Feedback is an essential part of learning a skill. It’s very important to receive extrinsic feedback so that the participant does not learn the skill correctly and it also helps one give them self correct intrinsic feedback.
Monday, November 8, 2010
PDFE #11
For this PDFE I observed a football practice on the mountain campus of Berry College. The participants in the practice were a middle school football team. I observed them practicing for about 45 minutes and recorded findings on the handout provided. Though I expected it to be pretty low, I did not think the total time spent in activity would be less than 50 percent. The activity level was 45 percent to be exact. Even though, while in activity it was rather vigorous I still felt it should be more than it was.
When I arrived at the practice I first observed the team doing numerous warm-up drills at a consistent rate. They were effective in exciting and stretching the muscles in all the participants. The warm-ups lasted for an appropriate amount of time. After warming up the players began tackling drills. These drills were appropriate for the situation however their downside was lack of activity. While a few players would go at a time, those who were not participating would stand on the side and watch. There were players doing a few other drills. However still, players were standing to the side of the participants and instructors. A suggestion I would have to improve these activities would be to get more players involved simultaneously in the drills. This went on for about 10 minutes and then the players took a water break.
After players took part in these position specific drills they began practicing game day plays as a group. These had much better overall group involvement. However there were players standing on the sidelines waiting to get the opportunity to play. Also, there was a good bit of down time in between plays for maintenance or play setup. This doesn’t seem like much until you add the time up afterward. It represented 18 percent of the practice I observed. In order to improve on players waiting around I would suggest that there be drills for the players who are on the sideline. As far as the players on the field there is not a whole lot I would see that one could do. Unfortunately, the nature of football in general is stop and go.
Overall I felt like the coach did a good job of keeping active as much as possible during the time I observed. Unfortunately with football, as are with many American sports, there is a good bit of downtime built into the sport. However, this does not mean that this has to be so for the practices. A coach should strive to keep all players active so that all of the players are ready for game day.
When I arrived at the practice I first observed the team doing numerous warm-up drills at a consistent rate. They were effective in exciting and stretching the muscles in all the participants. The warm-ups lasted for an appropriate amount of time. After warming up the players began tackling drills. These drills were appropriate for the situation however their downside was lack of activity. While a few players would go at a time, those who were not participating would stand on the side and watch. There were players doing a few other drills. However still, players were standing to the side of the participants and instructors. A suggestion I would have to improve these activities would be to get more players involved simultaneously in the drills. This went on for about 10 minutes and then the players took a water break.
After players took part in these position specific drills they began practicing game day plays as a group. These had much better overall group involvement. However there were players standing on the sidelines waiting to get the opportunity to play. Also, there was a good bit of down time in between plays for maintenance or play setup. This doesn’t seem like much until you add the time up afterward. It represented 18 percent of the practice I observed. In order to improve on players waiting around I would suggest that there be drills for the players who are on the sideline. As far as the players on the field there is not a whole lot I would see that one could do. Unfortunately, the nature of football in general is stop and go.
Overall I felt like the coach did a good job of keeping active as much as possible during the time I observed. Unfortunately with football, as are with many American sports, there is a good bit of downtime built into the sport. However, this does not mean that this has to be so for the practices. A coach should strive to keep all players active so that all of the players are ready for game day.
Friday, November 5, 2010
PDFE #10
When looking at constant and varied practice there are aspects that set the two noticeably apart. Constant practice consists of practicing one skill without changing conditions. This will make you look good at the skill in practice. However, in pressure or game situation one will not be nearly as prepared as someone who has experienced varied practice. Varied practice consists of practicing a skill in different situations so that the participant will be more game ready. This method will no look as good in practice however, more skill will transfer to actual competition settings.
For our lab, I was partaking in varied practice. My partner Ehson, took part in the constant practice. We would both do fifteen tries to get the sandbag in the hoop and then switch. While Ehson would stay at the five meter length I would rotate between the four, five, and six meter markings.
When looking at overall performance it would show that the varied practice was better in this situation. This is the case in most situations one will experience. In this situation results may have been skewed by the initial skill level of the participants. However, when observing personal improvement over the time spent in practice, I would say that the constant practice worked better for this particular game. This is because the practice situation was the exact same as the performance situation. So really, one could almost say that the participant who was standing at the five meter distance was taking part in varied practice because when in competition there were no other elements. Therefore, he was practicing every element of the game. I would say that because of these factors the results meet my expectations.
As mentioned before one of the factors that would have affected the results of the game would be ones skill. Because we only had about ten minutes of practice leading up to the competition the participant’s previous skills factored in more than the practice itself. Other factors would include the pressure of the competition. When in practice one is more relaxed and therefore has a higher chance of success. But when in competition one may feel the pressures more than when practicing. Because of this raised arousal level motor function may be impaired and performance negatively affected.
For our lab, I was partaking in varied practice. My partner Ehson, took part in the constant practice. We would both do fifteen tries to get the sandbag in the hoop and then switch. While Ehson would stay at the five meter length I would rotate between the four, five, and six meter markings.
When looking at overall performance it would show that the varied practice was better in this situation. This is the case in most situations one will experience. In this situation results may have been skewed by the initial skill level of the participants. However, when observing personal improvement over the time spent in practice, I would say that the constant practice worked better for this particular game. This is because the practice situation was the exact same as the performance situation. So really, one could almost say that the participant who was standing at the five meter distance was taking part in varied practice because when in competition there were no other elements. Therefore, he was practicing every element of the game. I would say that because of these factors the results meet my expectations.
As mentioned before one of the factors that would have affected the results of the game would be ones skill. Because we only had about ten minutes of practice leading up to the competition the participant’s previous skills factored in more than the practice itself. Other factors would include the pressure of the competition. When in practice one is more relaxed and therefore has a higher chance of success. But when in competition one may feel the pressures more than when practicing. Because of this raised arousal level motor function may be impaired and performance negatively affected.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
PDFE #9
My physical activity background is a little different than many because I was homeschooled. However, by no means do I feel like I missed out. In some ways I feel that maybe I got more physical activity than the average elementary child. My physical activity was separated into two parts. The first is formal P.E. class and the second is extracurricular P.E.
For my formal P.E. a group of us would meet every Monday at the local public park and we would generally play a sport or do some activity. We would play kickball, volleyball, softball, football, etc. sometimes we would have P.E. test in which would prepare and then be tested on basic physical abilities such as running the mile, pushups, pull-ups, sit-ups, etc. This group would consistently meet every week and there would generally be 15-20 kids. The teacher of the class would be a certified P.E. teacher who was also one of the moms.
The second part of my P.E. was my extracurricular activities. I would play baseball in the spring and fall and basketball in the winter. I would play in organized recreation leagues that would have at least one game and one practice a week. As I got older the schedule for these leagues would become more intense. Along with these organized activities I would always be outside with my friends playing some sport. I was the type of kid that my mom would have to drag inside when it got dark, otherwise I would just stay outside with my friends.
The fact that P.E. is more and more reduced is truly a tragedy. It is very important for children to be getting this activity no matter what the age. Not just because it is good for them but because it creates good habits for the future. If we are going to create a healthy nation we should start with keeping our children healthy.
For my formal P.E. a group of us would meet every Monday at the local public park and we would generally play a sport or do some activity. We would play kickball, volleyball, softball, football, etc. sometimes we would have P.E. test in which would prepare and then be tested on basic physical abilities such as running the mile, pushups, pull-ups, sit-ups, etc. This group would consistently meet every week and there would generally be 15-20 kids. The teacher of the class would be a certified P.E. teacher who was also one of the moms.
The second part of my P.E. was my extracurricular activities. I would play baseball in the spring and fall and basketball in the winter. I would play in organized recreation leagues that would have at least one game and one practice a week. As I got older the schedule for these leagues would become more intense. Along with these organized activities I would always be outside with my friends playing some sport. I was the type of kid that my mom would have to drag inside when it got dark, otherwise I would just stay outside with my friends.
The fact that P.E. is more and more reduced is truly a tragedy. It is very important for children to be getting this activity no matter what the age. Not just because it is good for them but because it creates good habits for the future. If we are going to create a healthy nation we should start with keeping our children healthy.
PDFE #8
The lab conducted was probably one of the most challenging because of the many steps required to complete the skill at hand. My partner for this activity struggled to figure the process out. Because he had no past experience with knots and was not able to understand the instructions very well. However, once he understood the process he slowly began to get better at the skill with each attempt.
For me it was a slightly different story. The only reason for I was more easily able to accomplish the task was that I have had past experiences with knots and had reached the autonominous stage with this know in particular. However, it had been so long that it took me many tries to remember how to do it. But once I had recalled the process I was able to tie the assigned know while holding a conversation with someone else.
I think that the ability to reach this automatic stage is really cool. It amazes me how, when practiced enough our brain can run the make our body do the action as if it were a background program in our minds that the participant doesn’t even consider while we are doing it. I think, in sports, it is this stage of mastery that sets professionals apart from amateurs. There is some skill that professional athletes can perform and we say “wow, he made that look so easy”. I think it has to do with the fact that they have mastered their skills to where they become completely automatic. Mastering a skill to the point of it being automatic takes time and perseverance but is definitely a worthwhile task.
For me it was a slightly different story. The only reason for I was more easily able to accomplish the task was that I have had past experiences with knots and had reached the autonominous stage with this know in particular. However, it had been so long that it took me many tries to remember how to do it. But once I had recalled the process I was able to tie the assigned know while holding a conversation with someone else.
I think that the ability to reach this automatic stage is really cool. It amazes me how, when practiced enough our brain can run the make our body do the action as if it were a background program in our minds that the participant doesn’t even consider while we are doing it. I think, in sports, it is this stage of mastery that sets professionals apart from amateurs. There is some skill that professional athletes can perform and we say “wow, he made that look so easy”. I think it has to do with the fact that they have mastered their skills to where they become completely automatic. Mastering a skill to the point of it being automatic takes time and perseverance but is definitely a worthwhile task.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
PDFE #7
I found this lab very interesting. When looking at a specific skill I always considered proficiency to be a factor of gross motor skills. I had never thought that one may be successful because of other acquired skills. It is because of this that people who may be very good at certain skill, have a chance to be better at certain activities than others who have practiced this activity many times over. An example of this is playing quarterback and pitching in baseball.
I use the example of quarterbacking and pitching because it is one of which I have personal experience with. In high school I was at the top of the pitching rotation at the school I played baseball. For this reason when the starting quarterback was injured I was asked to step in and play quarterback over some who had more experience. Though I had not had any experience playing quarterback in an actual game, I was able to make up for it with my coordination and accuracy skills learned in pitching. Also, my ability to move and throw helped in this. I was able to be successful as quarterback and started for the team until my season was cut short by injury. However, while I was still able to play I used my previously learned skills and incorporated with some new ones.
Sometimes in the world of sports we are thrown a curve ball. One may be asked to perform a skill or play a position he is not used to. However, when taking a closer look at ones skill set one may realized he is better at a skill than originally expected. This lab highlights that possibility. It would be useful for athletes of all sports.
I use the example of quarterbacking and pitching because it is one of which I have personal experience with. In high school I was at the top of the pitching rotation at the school I played baseball. For this reason when the starting quarterback was injured I was asked to step in and play quarterback over some who had more experience. Though I had not had any experience playing quarterback in an actual game, I was able to make up for it with my coordination and accuracy skills learned in pitching. Also, my ability to move and throw helped in this. I was able to be successful as quarterback and started for the team until my season was cut short by injury. However, while I was still able to play I used my previously learned skills and incorporated with some new ones.
Sometimes in the world of sports we are thrown a curve ball. One may be asked to perform a skill or play a position he is not used to. However, when taking a closer look at ones skill set one may realized he is better at a skill than originally expected. This lab highlights that possibility. It would be useful for athletes of all sports.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
PDFE #6
This lab assignment was more challenging than I originally anticipated. It involved fairly precise movements coupled with a few other motor skills. The movements preformed were challenging for two different reasons. First, the movements preformed required a lot of balance. Most of the movements involved holding balance on a partial section of your foot. This is challenging because of all the muscles necessary for this fine motor skill. Second, the coordination required to perform the actions, such as touching ones ankle, made these tests challenging. Both factors combined are what made this exercise much more difficult than expected.
For the groups as a whole I felt that quality was a hindrance in the results. For our group specifically we had issues with the Bass Stepping-Stone activity and the Divers Stand. For both lack of quality in the procedures heavily skewed our results. I think that if we had a more rigid time constraint for the stepping stone activity and someone to more closely watches the posture of the participants for the divers stand it would have been more consistent with expectations. I think that the main problem that most had with quality was with the activities that required the participant to hold a position for a certain amount of time. It is very hard to get this timing exact.
The results for these tests are very interesting. One can definitely see a carryover in balance. The participants who had better balance generally were the highest in all of the tests, while those with less balance were lower. This was consistent with the entire test. I was a bit of an outlier though. For some reason, in some test I would be first while others I would be near the last. However, all other participants followed the general rule. This was a fun lab that I really enjoyed participating in and I can’t wait to learn more!
For the groups as a whole I felt that quality was a hindrance in the results. For our group specifically we had issues with the Bass Stepping-Stone activity and the Divers Stand. For both lack of quality in the procedures heavily skewed our results. I think that if we had a more rigid time constraint for the stepping stone activity and someone to more closely watches the posture of the participants for the divers stand it would have been more consistent with expectations. I think that the main problem that most had with quality was with the activities that required the participant to hold a position for a certain amount of time. It is very hard to get this timing exact.
The results for these tests are very interesting. One can definitely see a carryover in balance. The participants who had better balance generally were the highest in all of the tests, while those with less balance were lower. This was consistent with the entire test. I was a bit of an outlier though. For some reason, in some test I would be first while others I would be near the last. However, all other participants followed the general rule. This was a fun lab that I really enjoyed participating in and I can’t wait to learn more!
Monday, October 4, 2010
PDFE #5
Overall I felt like the slideshow would be a helpful tool, especially for freshmen who are trying to plan out their four years at school. However, one of the weak points I found was at the begging when it said “The best time to think about internships, practicum, grad school, and professional development is a freshman.” I agree that it is a very good idea to plan as much as you can as soon as you can. However, I feel like this is stressing that you must. Many people are unsure of exactly what it is they want to do in college. Pressuring students to immediately make that decision and plan it out may be putting just a lot of unnecessary stress on the student. Personally I was undecided on what I wanted to do in college and I did not decide exactly what I wanted to do until first semester of my sophomore year and I am still refining it as much as possible. I think that if you inform them that they don’t have to make the decision immediately, it will free the students mind to explore all the possibilities and opportunities.
One of the sections I really did like was the part about becoming a multi-threat. In order to set one apart from everyone else I agree that it is crucial to have characteristics about yourself that no one else has. For me personally this is studying in the field of psychology. Many in exercise science focus and the physical anatomy and never delve into the mind and understanding exactly how it effects the rest of the body. Being a multi-threat is important to achieving success. This would definitely be a great starting point for someone
One of the sections I really did like was the part about becoming a multi-threat. In order to set one apart from everyone else I agree that it is crucial to have characteristics about yourself that no one else has. For me personally this is studying in the field of psychology. Many in exercise science focus and the physical anatomy and never delve into the mind and understanding exactly how it effects the rest of the body. Being a multi-threat is important to achieving success. This would definitely be a great starting point for someone
PDFE #4
For my interview I talked to a chiropractor in my home town. His name is Remond Weinberg. His office is currently located in Emory Adventist hospital in Smyrna, Georgia. I told him of my interest in chiropractic. He said that he attended Palmer Chiropractic in order to attain his chiropractic certification.
His inspiration in chiropractic was to be able to give the patient a more personalized experience. He believes that each individual patient will be different in the diagnosis and treatment of their ailment. For this reason he takes time to really get to know each patient. He definitely puts this into practice because my family has been going to his office for almost 10 years now. He said he doesn’t hire many staff members because that would take away from this personal experience.
Dr. Weinberg’s business started in, what once was a small house on the side of the road. He stayed in this building for many years building his customer base. He then moved to the hospital on a very large main road. He said that he enjoyed working in the small building because he didn’t have to deal so much with the business side of chiropractic. It was his building and those that worked there. However, When Dr. Weinberg moved into the hospital he had to focus more on the business side of things. There are many doctors to deal with and the overarching hospital. There are many benefits to moving business into the hospital. First and foremost he is much closer to the patients who really need his care and this helps the business bring in revenue. Also, the facilities in which Dr. Weinberg works are a good bit nicer than the small cramped house of which he worked in before. For these reasons he is able to provide better service to the customer.
The field of chiropractic care really interests me. It is my current professional field of choice and Dr. Weinberg is definitely someone I feel confident coming to for the advantages and disadvantages of the field. Also, for help to get ahead and to know what to expect. He is a quality person and a great chiropractor. He runs a very tight business with solid values and for this reason he is very successful.
His inspiration in chiropractic was to be able to give the patient a more personalized experience. He believes that each individual patient will be different in the diagnosis and treatment of their ailment. For this reason he takes time to really get to know each patient. He definitely puts this into practice because my family has been going to his office for almost 10 years now. He said he doesn’t hire many staff members because that would take away from this personal experience.
Dr. Weinberg’s business started in, what once was a small house on the side of the road. He stayed in this building for many years building his customer base. He then moved to the hospital on a very large main road. He said that he enjoyed working in the small building because he didn’t have to deal so much with the business side of chiropractic. It was his building and those that worked there. However, When Dr. Weinberg moved into the hospital he had to focus more on the business side of things. There are many doctors to deal with and the overarching hospital. There are many benefits to moving business into the hospital. First and foremost he is much closer to the patients who really need his care and this helps the business bring in revenue. Also, the facilities in which Dr. Weinberg works are a good bit nicer than the small cramped house of which he worked in before. For these reasons he is able to provide better service to the customer.
The field of chiropractic care really interests me. It is my current professional field of choice and Dr. Weinberg is definitely someone I feel confident coming to for the advantages and disadvantages of the field. Also, for help to get ahead and to know what to expect. He is a quality person and a great chiropractor. He runs a very tight business with solid values and for this reason he is very successful.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
PDFE #3
For this assignment I watched a University of Georgia football game. A football game is perfect for this assignment because it includes all the necessary factors. All of the factors can be pointed out in one single play
Before the snap of the ball all players take part in the first factor, anticipation. The offense tries to predict what kind of coverage and techniques the defense may be using. While the defense tries to predict whether the offense may be running the ball or passing. If the offense improperly anticipates the result could be a substantial loss of yardage or a turnover. However, if the defense does not correctly anticipate the offenses move it may result in a big fat touchdown.
After anticipating the play, all players must have good reaction time. All players on both sides of the ball were waiting for the snap or hiking of the ball to signal them to begin motion. The offensive reaction time was much better than that of the defense because the offense had determined the count of the snap would happen. However, the defense was waiting for the movement of the offense to indicate the snap therefore their reaction time was much slower than the offenses.
During a running play the ball carrier experienced the next factor, Hick’s Law. As he is running the ball he is looking for a hole to run through in the offensive line. This creates multiple response choices. He may have more than one option of holes in the offensive line. Or he may have none and have to change his direction completely on a whim. Also, once the ball carrier breaks through the hole he must locate more response choices, formally known as defenders. He must decide where they are located, how they are being blocked, and where he must the run to avoid tackles.
After the ball carrier analyzes all response choices, sometimes his only choice is to perform a juke move. This brings us to our next factor, the Psychological Refractory Period. This is referring to the defenders reaction to the runner faking one way and then going another. It is a very common move seen in football and can leave offensive players open to a big hit or leave defenders lying on the ground with broken ankles. It all has to do with the Psychological Refractory Period. As the ball carrier approaches a defender he begins motioning one direction. As soon as the defender commits to this direction the ball carrier then diverts his momentum in the opposite direction. This period of change in direction is the Psychological Refractory Period. How quickly the defender is able to change his movements along with the runner will determine whether he can tackle the ball carrier or be left only able to watch in disdain as the ball carrier casually walks into the end zone.
In many sports it is these factors that define a professional from an amateur. They are what make games fun to watch and suspenseful moments suspenseful. They take much practice and maturity to be able to refine but are well worth the time and effort put into it.
Before the snap of the ball all players take part in the first factor, anticipation. The offense tries to predict what kind of coverage and techniques the defense may be using. While the defense tries to predict whether the offense may be running the ball or passing. If the offense improperly anticipates the result could be a substantial loss of yardage or a turnover. However, if the defense does not correctly anticipate the offenses move it may result in a big fat touchdown.
After anticipating the play, all players must have good reaction time. All players on both sides of the ball were waiting for the snap or hiking of the ball to signal them to begin motion. The offensive reaction time was much better than that of the defense because the offense had determined the count of the snap would happen. However, the defense was waiting for the movement of the offense to indicate the snap therefore their reaction time was much slower than the offenses.
During a running play the ball carrier experienced the next factor, Hick’s Law. As he is running the ball he is looking for a hole to run through in the offensive line. This creates multiple response choices. He may have more than one option of holes in the offensive line. Or he may have none and have to change his direction completely on a whim. Also, once the ball carrier breaks through the hole he must locate more response choices, formally known as defenders. He must decide where they are located, how they are being blocked, and where he must the run to avoid tackles.
After the ball carrier analyzes all response choices, sometimes his only choice is to perform a juke move. This brings us to our next factor, the Psychological Refractory Period. This is referring to the defenders reaction to the runner faking one way and then going another. It is a very common move seen in football and can leave offensive players open to a big hit or leave defenders lying on the ground with broken ankles. It all has to do with the Psychological Refractory Period. As the ball carrier approaches a defender he begins motioning one direction. As soon as the defender commits to this direction the ball carrier then diverts his momentum in the opposite direction. This period of change in direction is the Psychological Refractory Period. How quickly the defender is able to change his movements along with the runner will determine whether he can tackle the ball carrier or be left only able to watch in disdain as the ball carrier casually walks into the end zone.
In many sports it is these factors that define a professional from an amateur. They are what make games fun to watch and suspenseful moments suspenseful. They take much practice and maturity to be able to refine but are well worth the time and effort put into it.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
PDFE #2
For this assignment I was observing a high school football practice. This practice took place on the field up on the mountain campus late in the afternoon. During this practice the team was running drills with the offense and defense. All players on both sides of the ball were running different plays and schemes to improve both motor and cognitive ability.
First we will take a look at the elements of the one dimension system that were used in this practice. The main locomotor movement was running. The receivers were running their routes, the quarterback was running to avoid defenders, and the defenders were running to the ball. In the practice the object being manipulated was the football. It was being snapped by the center to the quarterback, handed off to runners, and thrown to receivers. Also, one could say the the offensive and defensive lines were objects being manipulated. Both were trying to push the other out of the way to either reach or keep the other from reaching the quarterback. When the defensive and offensive lines were lining up before the snap they were stabilizing themselves with their hands and arms as they put the majority of their weight on them.
Looking at the muscles being enhanced in this practice we have the upper body and legs in the gross muscle use category. The upper body muscles are used to throw and catch the ball. Both groups of muscles were used when talking and blocking. Finally the legs were in use while receivers were running routes and the cornerbacks and linebackers were covering them. The main fine muscles used were in when holding the ball, especially in the act of throwing. the quarter back had to have great fine motor skill in order to get a good enough grip to hold and throw it. Same goes for the receivers catching the ball. They have to use fine motor skills in their fingers when holding the ball.
The type of task that the players preformed include brief, serial, and continuous. The brief was the players throwing the ball. The serial skill was catching the ball. Because during most of the occurrences of this skill the players were running and catching while avoiding defenders, making this a serial skill. The continuous skill was the players running. Unlike in track or other similar sports there was no defined end to this action. The action only stopped when the play was over.
Each of the players on the field was responsible for some cognitive decisions and making motor movements. The quarterback had to go through his progressions and make the movement of throwing the ball. The defense had to analyze what the offense was doing while running and executing their assignments. Finally the running back had to analyze the defensive positioning and how well his line was blocking while receiving the handoff and running the ball. All this was caused by the open environment. Both teams on both sides of the ball had to react to one another. The teams could only guess what the other would do simply by their tendencies.
Four movements that can be classified into Gentile’s 16 categories are; throwing the ball away out of bounds, covering a receiver, running the ball, pushing the sled. The first three involve environment variation and context variation. When throwing the ball the body is stationary and there is object manipulation involved. When covering the receiver there is body transport but no object manipulation. When the players were running the ball there was body movement and object manipulation. The final action is when some of the players were off to the side of the field pushing the tackling sled. There was no environmental or contextual variation. However, there was body transport and object manipulation.
At first glance one would not think that there are so many movements that could be classified so many different ways, taking place in a sport. Football is truly an intricate sport in which so many things are going on at once. It takes a trained eye to fully analyze it.
First we will take a look at the elements of the one dimension system that were used in this practice. The main locomotor movement was running. The receivers were running their routes, the quarterback was running to avoid defenders, and the defenders were running to the ball. In the practice the object being manipulated was the football. It was being snapped by the center to the quarterback, handed off to runners, and thrown to receivers. Also, one could say the the offensive and defensive lines were objects being manipulated. Both were trying to push the other out of the way to either reach or keep the other from reaching the quarterback. When the defensive and offensive lines were lining up before the snap they were stabilizing themselves with their hands and arms as they put the majority of their weight on them.
Looking at the muscles being enhanced in this practice we have the upper body and legs in the gross muscle use category. The upper body muscles are used to throw and catch the ball. Both groups of muscles were used when talking and blocking. Finally the legs were in use while receivers were running routes and the cornerbacks and linebackers were covering them. The main fine muscles used were in when holding the ball, especially in the act of throwing. the quarter back had to have great fine motor skill in order to get a good enough grip to hold and throw it. Same goes for the receivers catching the ball. They have to use fine motor skills in their fingers when holding the ball.
The type of task that the players preformed include brief, serial, and continuous. The brief was the players throwing the ball. The serial skill was catching the ball. Because during most of the occurrences of this skill the players were running and catching while avoiding defenders, making this a serial skill. The continuous skill was the players running. Unlike in track or other similar sports there was no defined end to this action. The action only stopped when the play was over.
Each of the players on the field was responsible for some cognitive decisions and making motor movements. The quarterback had to go through his progressions and make the movement of throwing the ball. The defense had to analyze what the offense was doing while running and executing their assignments. Finally the running back had to analyze the defensive positioning and how well his line was blocking while receiving the handoff and running the ball. All this was caused by the open environment. Both teams on both sides of the ball had to react to one another. The teams could only guess what the other would do simply by their tendencies.
Four movements that can be classified into Gentile’s 16 categories are; throwing the ball away out of bounds, covering a receiver, running the ball, pushing the sled. The first three involve environment variation and context variation. When throwing the ball the body is stationary and there is object manipulation involved. When covering the receiver there is body transport but no object manipulation. When the players were running the ball there was body movement and object manipulation. The final action is when some of the players were off to the side of the field pushing the tackling sled. There was no environmental or contextual variation. However, there was body transport and object manipulation.
At first glance one would not think that there are so many movements that could be classified so many different ways, taking place in a sport. Football is truly an intricate sport in which so many things are going on at once. It takes a trained eye to fully analyze it.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
PDFE #1
For this observation I attended a Berry College soccer team practice. Practice took place on the college practice field in between the baseball field and the team game field. The portion of the practice I observed was mainly focused on the goalies and improving awareness and reaction time.
The activities were safe for the participants. Most of the activities involved players taking different types of shots and creating different situations and a fairly low intensity. The goal keep was at risk for any normal injury he may obtain from blocking a strike from the opposition. The only other noticeable danger would be the heat. The practice took place in the late afternoon. However, the sun was still high in the sky and it was quite hot. In order to prevent any heat related injuries the players and coaches were staying well hydrated.
There goalies were enhancing their personal skill by simulating game situations. First, they received shots from many different angles. After, they moved on to the possibility of rebound strikes from multiple oppositions. While doing so coaches and players created many different scenarios which would put the goal keeper out of position. Once he was out of position another shot would be struck to challenge to goal keeper to make a hard save.
Everyone involved in this activity. Whoever was not playing the position of goal keeper would be one of the players striking shots at him. This kept all players actively involved in the drills, challenging goal keepers but also shot takers. The drill was very well constructed. It challenged the players and enhanced their motor and cognitive skills. Because of how well the drill was constructed I see no reason for any sort of change.
The activity taking place was very appropriate for the athletes taking place. It challenged them and was not impossible. The athletes were well engaged in the drill it took their full focus to be able to complete the skill thus improving both motor and cognitive skill. The athletes, while working very hard, seemed to enjoy the task at hand. It appeared that the coaches were doing a very good job enhancing the players making this a very successful practice.
The activities were safe for the participants. Most of the activities involved players taking different types of shots and creating different situations and a fairly low intensity. The goal keep was at risk for any normal injury he may obtain from blocking a strike from the opposition. The only other noticeable danger would be the heat. The practice took place in the late afternoon. However, the sun was still high in the sky and it was quite hot. In order to prevent any heat related injuries the players and coaches were staying well hydrated.
There goalies were enhancing their personal skill by simulating game situations. First, they received shots from many different angles. After, they moved on to the possibility of rebound strikes from multiple oppositions. While doing so coaches and players created many different scenarios which would put the goal keeper out of position. Once he was out of position another shot would be struck to challenge to goal keeper to make a hard save.
Everyone involved in this activity. Whoever was not playing the position of goal keeper would be one of the players striking shots at him. This kept all players actively involved in the drills, challenging goal keepers but also shot takers. The drill was very well constructed. It challenged the players and enhanced their motor and cognitive skills. Because of how well the drill was constructed I see no reason for any sort of change.
The activity taking place was very appropriate for the athletes taking place. It challenged them and was not impossible. The athletes were well engaged in the drill it took their full focus to be able to complete the skill thus improving both motor and cognitive skill. The athletes, while working very hard, seemed to enjoy the task at hand. It appeared that the coaches were doing a very good job enhancing the players making this a very successful practice.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
About Me and My Future Aspirations
My name is Nathan. I am a junior at Berry College. When I came to Berry I really had no idea of what my future held. At first I thought a business major was the route for me. However, after an entire year, and a little convincing from Dr. Pearson, I decided that Exercise Science was the way to go. Because of my love for sports and my recently found gusto for the human body and how it functions, I began my current pursuit to become a physical therapist. This career opportunity gives me a wonderful opportunity to meet new people in all different walks of life. These people may be able to offer advice or simply some great stories. However, what really interests me is the opportunity to work in a sport environment. I have played sports all my life, many different sports, and I feel there would be no greater joy than to be able to have a career doing what I love. I love the quote “A man who loves what he does, never will work a day in his life”. I do feel that it is necessary to be able to be financially stable as well. It is for these reasons I have chosen the field of physical therapy. For me, it is a contrast of something that I love and the ability to be financially stable as well.
With this job will come much work. I plan to attend grad school after Berry. My hope is to find a school with a quality graduate program that offers an assistantship. I have recently talked to a friend who I see as a mentor. He suggested that I also pursue a chiropractic degree alongside my PT degree. If it is possible to do so, I would like to follow his advice and do so.
I think the path have chosen will be very beneficial for me. I look forward to climbing the mountain and enjoying every moment!
With this job will come much work. I plan to attend grad school after Berry. My hope is to find a school with a quality graduate program that offers an assistantship. I have recently talked to a friend who I see as a mentor. He suggested that I also pursue a chiropractic degree alongside my PT degree. If it is possible to do so, I would like to follow his advice and do so.
I think the path have chosen will be very beneficial for me. I look forward to climbing the mountain and enjoying every moment!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)