Classification of Skill:
There are different types of skill - these are as follows:
A Level Physical Education
The classifications that sport psychologists or coaches choose to use depend on what aspect of learning or performance they want to analyse.
We consider here a classification system with seven elements: body involvement, environmental requirements, continuity, pacing, difficulty, organisation and interaction.
Each of these elements can be thought of as a continuum. This means that two ends of the continuum are opposites and there is a gradual change in characteristics from one end to the other.
In preparing a performer for competition, coaches might need to consider the nature of the interactions between competitors and the extent to which the opposition can affect their player's performance.
Individual, Co-Active and Interactive Skills
There are many various skills that are performed in sport. Sometimes, we are on our, own, sometimes others perform around us, and other times, people perform along with us. This is the difference between individual, co-active and interactive skills. Individual and co-active skills both require a well thought out pre-leaned routine or sequence of movements. Interactive skills need interpretation and variation.
Individual Skills are those that the competitor performs alone, without the physical presence of the opposition. In a javelin competition for example the performer performs alone and then is followed by another performer who also performs alone and so forth. Other examples of this are penalties in football and gymnastics floor routines event, other competitors are in the same area but they don’t all perform at the same time and cannot physically affect your performance, though they may exert psychological pressure. Performance in individual activities is least likely to be affected by the opposition.
Coactive Skills are those, in which competitors are all performing at the same time, but where they are physically separated and in which one competitor cannot physically inhibit the performance of another. Examples would be the 100m sprint events in athletics or swimming. As in the case of individual activities, however, the good or bad performance of one may have a psychological effect on another. For example, you are more likely to produce a personal best in the 100m sprint if you are in competition with people who are as fast as, or a little bit faster than yourself.
A Level Physical Education
Interactive Skills are those in which the performance can be controlled by the opposition. In most games, how well you play is dependant on how well your opponent allows you to play. Highly interactive activities are those in which space is shared and in which body contact is allowed, for example Rugby or Football. There is potentially less interaction as less body contact is allowed in say, basketball, and less interaction still when players are separated, for example in tennis or volleyball. In theory, the greater level of interaction, the greater the potential for opponents to affect each other's performance. Thus maintaining possession and avoiding being tackled or intercepted are important tactics in invasion games.
In conclusion, each sport has its own combinations of types of skill the performers need for it to be performed properly, safely and to a high standard. Due to this, some sports will not suit a particular person whereas another one will. Also, you can see that classifying skills, plays a big part for teachers and coaches, helping them to choose the most appropriate and effective ways of teaching their pupils and for the pupils to have the optimal quality of coaching possibilities.
