Explain the differences between skill, ability and technique and explain how you would structure practices to enhance these components of fitness.

Brian Mackenzie is a UK Athletics grade 4 Coach (UKA 4). UK Athletics (UKA) is the United Kingdom's National Governing body for Track and Field Athletics. He quotes that.

"Skill is an athlete's ability to choose and perform the right techniques at the right time, successfully, regularly and with a minimum of effort. Athletes use their skill to achieve athletic objectives e.g. sprinting a 10.0 second 100m. Skill is acquired and therefore has to be learned."

There are three types of skills, cognitive, perceptual and motor. Cognitive is where thought is involved. It's about intelligence, this usually does not require much movement. E.g. Chess or snooker.

Perceptual is where the skill involves analysis of information, it usually requires making a decision, E.g. When and where to pass the football.

The last form of skill is " Motor skill". This is where a skill is mainly composed of movement and not much cognitive and perceptual skill is needed. E.G. Rugby and weight lifting. Mackenzie also states that "Skill = Ability + Technique"

Ability is very similar to skill, which is why the two words are commonly misused. Ability is innate, everyone is born with some ability to do certain tasks. However. If a sportsperson is not born with the ability, then their ability is almost impossible to improve. Another word for ability could be potential. On www.brianmac.demon.co.uk, they state a definition of ability,

"Ability is the make up of an athlete which we inherit from our parents. Abilities underpin and contribute to skills. Abilities can be essentially perceptual, essentially motor or a combination of both. Most abilities to do with action are a combination and are referred to as psychomotor abilities. At the present time there is no definitive list of psychomotor abilities."