Justification of Fitness Components for Rounders.

Authors Avatar

Introduction

Candidate’s Name: Aisha Hussain

Candidate’s Centre Name: Slough Grammar School

Candidate’s Centre Number: 51427

The Chosen Activity on Which the Portfolio Will Focus: Rounders

Declaration – this personal performance portfolio represents my own original work. Any information which I have obtained form other sources is acknowledged.

Signed ………………………..

Table of Contents

Anatomy and Physiology

Justification of Fitness Components for Rounders

        Physical fitness is the ability to cope effectively with the stresses of everyday life and still have energy left over for emergencies. Fitness can contribute to a healthy lifestyle, but health and fitness are not the same thing. The level of fitness you require depends on your lifestyle. A relatively sedentary life only requires brisk walks to maintain your fitness level. However, if you play sport regularly, you have to train many times a week to maintain a high fitness level. Fitness consists of many components which fall into two categories: health-related fitness or motor/skill-related fitness.  Health-related fitness is essential for everyone to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Motor/skill-related fitness is more important to the sports performer.

Health-related fitness: -

  • Aerobic capacity (cardiovascular endurance) – the ability of an athlete to take in and use oxygen, allowing participation in prolonged periods of continuous submaximal activities, such as, swimming, running, cycling, rowing. It depends on the efficiency of your cardiac, vascular and respiratory systems. It is genetically determined as the percentage of slow oxidative muscle fibres in your body determine how long you can work for without switching to anaerobic respiration.
  • Strength – applying a force against a resistance. There are three types of strength:
  1. Maximum strength-the greatest force the neuromuscular system is capable of exerting in a single maximum voluntary contraction.
  2. Elastic (explosive) strength (power)-ability of the neuromuscular system to overcome resistance with a high speed of contraction. Essential for activities involving sprinting, throwing, jumping or hitting and the athlete requires a high percentage of fast glycotic muscle fibres to perform well. The motor neurones that stimulate fast twitch muscle fibres have a thicker myelin sheath to speed up contraction.
  3. Endurance strength-ability of muscles to withstand fatigue. It requires anaerobic capacity/muscular endurance.
  • Flexibility (static) - range of movement possible around a joint depending on the amount of stretch allowed by the muscles, joints, tendons and ligaments.  Dynamic flexibility – resistance of a joint to movement.
  • Body composition – your body mass is made up of lean body mass and body fat. If people start to carry more fat, they become obese, which leads to health problems. In general, athletes tend to carry less fat, so performance is better.
  • Anaerobic capacity (muscular endurance) – see above.

Motor/skill-related fitness: -

  • Speed – how fast you can move your body or the whole of your body, measured in metres per second. It’s an important factor in all explosive sports requiring sudden changes in pace. A higher percentage of fast glycotic muscle fibres increases your speed as they receive stimuli quicker and release energy anaerobically.
  • Reaction time – time between stimulus being detected and the first movement being made in response to it. E.g. time taken between gun going off and sprinter starting to move. It’s affected by the conduction of nerve impulses and speed of muscle contraction. Therefore a higher percentage of fast glycotic muscle fibres helps decrease reaction time.
  • Agility – combination of speed and coordination. Allows you to efficiently change direction and body position at speed.
  • Balance – ability to maintain equilibrium (the centre of gravity is over its area of support). Static balance-balance that is held e.g. headstand in gymnastics. Dynamic balance-retaining balance while in motion.
  • Coordination – putting relevant motor programmes in order, and effectively using the neuromuscular system to produce smooth and efficient movement.
  • Power (see above)

My chosen sport (Rounders) utilises the following fitness components: anaerobic capacity (muscular endurance/endurance strength), elastic/explosive strength (power), flexibility, speed, reaction time, agility, and coordination.

  • Anaerobic capacity is required to sprint after balls if the opposing team has strong batters and to sprint around the pitch to score rounders.
  • Muscular endurance is needed by the fielders in rounders, as they may have to repeatedly run after balls hit out very far by the batters.
  • Power is needed in rounders for throwing and batting.
  • Explosive strength is required for jumping to catch the ball if you are the backstop, 1st or 4th base. It is also essential for sprinting to run after balls and sprinting to score rounders.
  • Flexibility is needed by the backstop, bowler, and players at bases. This is because they have to bend down suddenly, or jump up high to catch the balls hit/thrown at them as they are extremely close to each other and the batter. A wide range of movement is required in their joints to allow them to perform well.
  • Speed is obviously needed to sprint around the pitch effectively and run after balls.
  • Reaction time is required by the backstop especially, as they have to catch the balls only a few metres away. 4th base, bowler and 1st base also need to have good reaction times.
  • Agility is needed in rounders, as the fielders have to sprint after the balls, bend down to pick it up, and turn to throw it back extremely quickly. (a little dynamic balance and coordination also helps in this situation)/
  • Coordination is needed for most things in rounders, such as, throwing, catching, and batting.

Acquiring and Performing Movement Skills

The Skill of Bowling

        I have been involved in rounders for five years during the summer. I was in the rounders club from 1997-2000. After that the GCSE group wasn’t invited to join, and I relied on GCSE practical lessons to play rounders. Now I play once a week on Wednesdays. Rounders is a game where there are two teams, with a maximum of nine players on each team, and a minimum of six. Each team bats in turn, while the other field, and each team has two innings in a full game. The aim of the bating team is to hit the ball in such a direction and to such a distance that the batter can run round four posts before the next ball is bowled to score a rounder. The team scoring the most rounders wins. The batter can stay at any post on the way round. The bowler and the fielders work together to get the batter out as fast as possible to prevent them form scoring. My preferred positions are 4th base, bowling or backstop. This is because I am good at catching. However, I cannot bat with distance, so I am better at preventing other from scoring rounders, rather than scoring rounders myself. To overcome my weakness, I usually bat where there are no fielders (1st base), using a backhand hit. The main tactics of the fielding team is to get the ball from the bowler to the backstop without letting the batter hit it. This makes it easier to throw it to 1st base and get them out quicker. If that is not possible, then the backstop, or whoever has the ball, usually throws it to 4th base as the batter usually has run quite far by this time.

        Bowling is an essential skill for rounders, as it is mainly up to the bowler to prevent rounders and make the batter miss the ball. Bowling is my strength, and I can usually bowl the ball with speed and accuracy between the batters knee and head, to the backstop’s hands. I have hardly ever given away a half rounder, because I have extremely good aim. However, batters normally can make contact with the ball, as I do not have good enough aim to aim for their elbows with speed. It is impossible to hit the ball when it is near your elbow. The batter normally takes a step back and manages to hit it. Bowling is the first attack of the fielding team. Whether or not the batter will score a rounder depends upon the ball bowled to them.  That’s why there are many strategies for bowling, such as taking a diagonal run up, spinning the ball, and bowling it at various speeds and heights.

        This is how you perform the bowling action:

Preparation:

  • Stand facing the backstop with one foot in front of the other and your weight on your back foot. Make full use of the bowling square for the run-up.
  • Hold the ball in your right hand and point the left arm in the direction in which you are bowling.
  • Step forwards with the left foot, lift your right arm in front of you so that it looks like a bicep curl and close the right foot up to the left.
  • Now keep walking forwards, bend the knee and swing the right arm as far back as it will go.
  • The ball must be bowled in the direction of the batting square.

Execution:

  • Bowl with a continuous and smooth underarm action, by bringing the ball from behind to in front of you.
  • Make sure the heel of your hand is pointing towards the backstop when you release the ball.
  • While swinging the right arm forwards, balance the body by simultaneously swinging the left arm backwards. This action should be smooth and rhythmical.

Recovery:

  • As the ball leaves your hand, turn your shoulders with a strong follow through towards the batter.

Anatomy and Physiology

Warm Up Programme for Rounders

        There are three components to a warm up, which should be performed prior to every piece of exercise we do. They should always be performed in this order:

  1. Pulse raiser-It involves a continuous, submaximal whole body activity, such as jogging. This increases body temperature, therefore making muscle contraction speed up and increases the heart rate to speed up oxygen transportation. By gently raising your pulse you increase your cardiac output and rate of ventilation. This helps reduce oxygen deficit when you start the actual activity.
  2. Stretches-These are only performed after the body temperature has increased. You can perform ballistic or static stretches. Emphasis should be put on the muscles and joints that will be active during the activity.
  3. Skill phase-Sport specific activity involving the combination of the neural and muscular systems. Motor programmes are used with the muscles. Movement patterns that will be performed. E.g. skill practices, such as catching the ball.

A warm up should be performed because it gets the body ready for exercise and reduces the risk of injury. Adrenaline is released during a warm up which increases the heart rate and dilates capillaries. This in turn increases the speed and amount of oxygen delivered to the muscles. Body temperature is increased during a warm up and this increases the speed of the nerve impulse as it is conducted quicker, and the contraction speed is faster, therefore you have faster reaction times. The enzyme activity is also increased which is needed for respiration, meaning a greater source of energy is available to us as muscle metabolism is increased. Oxygen dissociates from haemoglobin much quicker in a warmer muscle and blood flow is increased as the vessels dilate. It decreases the viscosity within the muscle, which increases the elasticity and extensibility of the muscle fibres which makes them more malleable. This increased flexibility means the speed and force of muscle contraction is greater. Warming up also increases the production of Synovial fluid in the joints. This lubrication means the joints are looser so there is increased movement and you are more flexible.  A warm up also mentally prepares us for the activity ahead, and this is extremely good as mental preparation is very effective and enhances performance. The main effect of a warm up is increased body temperature which makes you perform better and increases the contractibility of your muscles.

        A cool down is performed at the end of every activity. It is the reverse of a warm up and consists of a pulse raiser and stretches. You have to perform an aerobic exercise during a cool down because you don’t want the build up of lactic acid. The stretches performed are the same ones performed during the warm up. A cool down returns the body to its pre-exercising state, as this happens more quickly if you perform light exercise during the recovery period. Waste products, such as lactic acid and carbon dioxide, are flushed out due to the increased blood flow. This reduces your overall recovery time, as fuel and energy stores are replenished. Venous pooling is prevented as 85% of the blood volume is sent to the working muscles. The most effective way to return the blood back to the heart is by a skeletal pump mechanism. The sudden decrease of activity also decreases blood flow to the heart and the stroke volume. Blood pressure also drops and the athlete feels light headed and dizzy. A cool down returns the muscle temperature back to normal at the right rate. A sudden drop in temperature causes muscle damage. Flexibility exercises can be performed during a cool down as the muscles are still warm and at their most pliable. You can physically and mentally relax during a cool down and recovery is aided. Muscle soreness (DOMS) and injury is also prevented by performing a cool down.  

        Below is my warm up programme for rounders. The only equipment I will require to perform it will be a 400m track, a rounders ball and a bat.

Stage 1: Pulse raiser: gently jog around the 400m track once.

 400m track

 

Stage 2: Stretches: perform static stretching on the following muscles and mobilise the following joints. Hold the stretches for 15 seconds each. Static stretching is a very safe and basic form of stretching. There is a limited threat of injury and it is extremely beneficial for overall flexibility. You should stretch the major muscle groups before the smaller ones. Then you should move onto mobilising joints. Static stretching is performed by placing the body into a position whereby the muscle or group of muscles to be stretched is under tension. Both the opposing muscle group (the muscles behind or in front of the stretched muscle), and the muscles to be stretched are relaxed. Then slowly and cautiously the body is moved to increase the tension of the muscle, or group of muscles to be stretched. At this point the position is held or maintained to allow the muscles and tendons to lengthen.

Join now!

Biceps Stretch

  • Stand tall, feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent
  • Hold you arms out to the side parallel with the ground and the palms of the hand facing forward
  • Rotate the hands so the palms face to the rear
  • Stretch the arms back as far as possible
  • You should feel the stretch across your chest and in the biceps

Shoulder Stretch

  • Stand tall, feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent
  • Place your right arm, parallel with the ground across the ...

This is a preview of the whole essay