COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Cagamutan Norte, Leganes, Iloilo - 5003

Tel. # (033) 396-2291 ; Fax : (033) 5248081
Email Address : svcst_leganes@yahoo.com

COO – FORM 12

SUBJECT TITLE: PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES TOWARDS HEALTH AND FITNESS 1

INSTRUCTOR: ANDREAN C. ERIBAL, LPT.
SUBJECT CODE: PE1

PRELIM MODULE
Topic 1: Introduction to Physical Education

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this topic, the students are expected to:
1. Know the great emphasis of PE as a program of activities in a school curriculum;
2. Define and understand the meaning of Physical Education;
3. Discuss the historical foundation of PE and Olympics;
4. Know the great emphasis of PE as a program of activities in a school curriculum;
5. identify the essential elements of PE;
6. understand the general aims, objectives and benefits of PE;
7. Show appreciation by attending and participating class discussion.

NOTES:

PHYSICAL EDUCATION is the integral part of school curriculum that aims to develop
the physical, mental, social, emotional and spiritual aspects of an individual; through
well selected physical activities that will help students attain and maintain their well-balanced
life.

1.1. The Nature and Meaning of Physical Education

To define physical education, we need to say that it is an educational process that aims to
improve human development and performance through physical activity. It tends to take
place at school through formal lessons, but it also includes informal activity such as play.

Different sporting activities can and do contribute to this learning process, and the learning
process enables participation in sports. The focus, however, is on the child and his or her
development of physical competence rather than the activity.

On an individual level, physical education is an agent for health and wellness that can promote
personal responsibility and control for active lifestyles. However, equally as important,
physical education focuses students' attention on understanding the problems of the social
environment that may inhibit them and others from pursuing active lifestyles.

Physical education contributes to individual wellness through the innate 'experience of the
moment' and is reinforced on a daily basis through the knowledge, skills, and feelings of
enhanced self-esteem and wellness that develop over time.
What is Physical Education?

 Instruction in the development and care of the body ranging from simple callisthenic
exercises to a course of study providing training in hygiene, gymnastics, and the
performance and management of athletic games.
 Systematic instruction in sports, exercises, and hygiene given as part of a school or
college program.
Physical education is a process of learning, the context being mainly physical. The
purpose of this process is to develop specific knowledge, skills, and understanding and
to promote physical competence.
 Physical education has a holistic view within a societal context that identifies the
interdependence of personal health with societal health and environmental health.

1.2 Aims of Physical Education

In doing the most basic function of physical education is to ensure physical fitness. Three
important aspects of the persons are also developed and these are Psychomotor, cognitive
and affective.

DOMAINS OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION

A. Psychomotor

It is the basic function of physical education, to build up physical strength of the person. It
develops organic system of the human body whose outcome is power to resist fatigue. It
trains the body to sustain hardship.
Particularly, physical fitness offers the following development in the human psychomotor:
1. Cardio-respiratory Endurance – Swimming, running and other form of exercises are
the basic components of physical education. These physical activities freely allows the
oxygen and nutrients to travel into the tissues thus remove the waste in the body.
Constant performance of the exercises washes away the toxins.
2. Muscular Strength and Endurance – Physical fitness provides ability of the muscles
to exert and sustain force against weight or other forms of resistance. It is well
demonstrated in the muscular strength of a person who used weight lifting. Aside from
the strength, muscles could sustain heavy objects in a long period of time.
3. Flexibility – Constant practice of sit and reach provides trainings on flexibility of the
legs. These result to ability of the muscles’ extreme reach.
4. Body Composition – This refers to the matching of the lean mass and fat mass as
components of the body. It develops proportions of the body.

Along with these enumerated improvements of the body, physical fitness also assumes
development in speed, the components of physical fitness that means the capability to hold
a continuous movement in a short period of time. The short period of time maybe explained
in 100-m sprint finished in a short period. Agility, the ability to change position in a flash of a
second; balance, a skill under physical fitness that refers to the maintenance of stability while
in static or stationary coordinated movements, the skill to see and hear at the same time
while the body is moving or performing a task; power, the combination of speed and strength
to perform challenging activity as in punch of a boxer, and reaction time, response to the
stimulus to move, from the beginning of the movement up to the end.

B. Cognitive

It is about the intellectual capabilities of the persons; particularly physical education which
develops the students’ knowledge to solve problems; it provides understanding of the rules.
As students, they learn how to follow the basic standard in sports. Strategies to outdo the
opponent are also training to solve problem in life. It is about physical movements so that
students could practice to analyze the underlying movements in a movement.
C. Affective

Generally, it is the aim of education to develop the emotional skills of the students.
Specifically, this aim is fulfilled in the physical education course. It involves games usually
played in a team which eventually develops the students’ sportsmanship. Since students play
as a team, this develops the sense of belonging, cognition of the strength of others; it
develops respects and finally love. Physical education develops leadership, cooperation,
discipline, self-control and Honesty.

1.3. Importance of Physical Education

The importance of physical education and physical activity in our society is encouraged by a
number of guiding principles entrenched in active living such as:
 Promotes a way of life in which physical activity is valued, enjoyed, and integrated into
daily life.
 Promotes the principle of individual choice by responding to learners' individual needs,
interests, and circumstances.
 Provides a unique contribution to lifelong development of all learners, enhancing their
physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
 Facilitates learning processes, which encourage critical thinking, thereby affecting the
learners' personal wellness and the well-being of society.
 Nurtures individual self-reflection and consciousness, which preserves human rights
and the development of supportive and sustainable environments.

1.4. Benefits of Physical Education

Technologically driven games make the young people physically inactive. This situation makes
physical education very important in school. One could notice that indigenous games that
require physical agility and mental alertness are gone. Children now congregate in the internet
cafes playing video games.

 For proper growth and development, exercise required in the physical education
classes are necessary. It is the basic purpose in including P.E. as a required course
even in the basic education namely; elementary and secondary.
 For good health and physical fitness, physical education is still very important. There
is no doctor who would not prescribe regular exercises to patient with advanced or
developing physical problem.
 Physical education helps person prevents from acquiring various sickness and
diseases.
 Physical education provides information about the person’s physical condition.
 Physical education does not only train the students in sports. It teaches them to
internalize the value of sports and its related benefits. Even outside school, in the
students’ later life, they could do physical exercises by themselves.
 Aside from physical development, it teaches students the value of sportsmanship,
behavioral and emotional related controls.
 Physical education basically aims to develop physical fitness and maintain it.
 Physical education provides Students Avenue to develop aesthetic inclination like
dancing. It teaches students to be graceful in movements which after all, the basic
requirement to illustrate beauty of dance.
 Physical education is also a form of releasing anger, tension or frustration. In
psychology there is a term “defense mechanism”. An angry man punches any object
rather than the person who is the source of his anger. In such a case punching bag
and other item in the gymnasium could be a good form of defense mechanism.
1.5. Historical Foundation of Physical Education

Physical Education started in just about 1820 when schools focused on gymnastics, hygiene
training and care and development of the human body. By the year 1950, over 400 institutes
had introduced majors in physical education. The Young Men's Christian Association launched
its very first chapter in 1851 and focused on physical activities. Colleges were encouraged to
focus on intramural sports particularly track, field and football. But physical education became
a formal requirement following the civil war when many states opted to pass laws that
required schools to incorporate a substantial physical education component into their
curriculums. But it was not till 1970 that an amendment was made to the Federal Education
Act that allowed women from high school and college to compete in athletic competitions.
Sex-based discrimination was completely outlawed from government funded programs at this
point.

Physical Education in College

College athletics received a major stimulus when a National Collegiate Athletic Association
was created in the early twentieth centuries. There was a rise in popularity of sports within
colleges and universities and funding greatly increased. Colleges took great pride in their
athletic programs and sports scholarships became a norm. There was also a surge in people
who enrolled in sports education programs to meet the growing demand for professionals in
the field.

Decline of Physical Education

But this is not meant to imply that the history of physical education has been all rosy. Late in
the twentieth century there was certainly a decline in the commitment to physical education.
The growing offering of extra subjects and electives in schools means that the shift was
focusing away from physical education and towards academics. The country also faced a
recession around 1970 and 1980 and the dearth of government funding means that physical
education programs were often the first to be cut from schools and universities.

The Modern Age

But recent awareness of the need for balanced curriculums particularly given the national
concern over the state of obesity and children's attention towards non-physical activities like
video games has brought physical education back in the spotlight. The government has re-
signaled its commitment to physical education by making it mandatory in public schools in
early classes. But it remains an elective at the high school level. One of the most interesting
developments in the history of physical education has been how the definition of physical
education has evolved. While it only encompassed traditional sports in the beginning, it now
includes several less physical activities such as yoga and meditation which are considered
critical to helping students develop a sense of control in such a stressful age.

The Historical Development of Physical Education in the Philippines

In contemporary history, physical education in the Philippines developed into the Bureau of
Physical Education and School Sports. The nation's Executive Order No. 81 series of 1999
then integrated BPESS into the Philippine Sports Commission, which has since assumed
BPESS's departmental roles.
Before the foundation of either BPESS or PSC, the development of physical education in the
Philippines was conducted by one of three staff bureaus within its Department of Education,
Culture, and Sports. Referred to as DECS, the department began as the Ministry of Education,
Culture, and Sports under the country's Education Act of 1982. Sports organizations in the
early 20th century were cultivated alongside educational programs that were simultaneously
sponsored by the government, including the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation and the
Department of Public Instruction.
Passed in 1990, the Republic Act 6847 came to be known the Philippine Sports Commission
Act upon its creation as a primary governmental sporting institution, and it continues to
function with the Department of Education through collaborating in nationally accredited
physical education programs. The Department of Education and the Philippine Sports
Commission additionally cooperate in hosting annual sporting events such as the Paralong
Pambansa, in which student athletes participate from around the nation.

Legal Basis of Physical Education

 Article 1 of theInternational Charter of Physial Education and Sport, UNESCO states
that “The practice of Physical Education and Sports is a Fundamental right for all”
 Article XIV, section 19, 1986 Constitution of Republic of the Philippines

“The state shall promote Physical Education and encourage sports programs league
competitions as training to foster self- discipline, teamwork, and excellence for the
development of a healthy and alert citizenry”

History of Olympics

The Olympic Games is an international sports festival that began in ancient Greece. The
original Greek games were staged every fourth year for several hundred years, until they
were abolished in the early Christian era. The revival of the Olympic Games took place in
1896, and since then they have been staged every fourth year, except during World War I
and World War II (1916, 1940, 1944).
Perhaps the basic difference between the ancient and modern Olympics is that the former
was the ancient Greeks' way of saluting their gods, whereas the modern Games are a manner
of saluting the athletic talents of citizens of all nations. The original Olympics featured
competition in music, oratory, and theater performances as well. The modern Games have a
more expansive athletic agenda, and for 2 and a half weeks they are supposed to replace the
rancor of international conflict with friendly competition. In recent times, however, that lofty
ideal has not always been attained.

The Ancient Olympics

The earliest reliable date that recorded history gives for the first Olympics is 776 B.C.,
although virtually all historians presume that the Games began well before then.
It is certain that during the midsummer of 776 B.C. a festival was held at Olympia on the
highly civilized eastern coast of the Peloponnesian peninsula. That festival remained a
regularly scheduled event, taking place during the pre-Christian golden age of Greece. As a
testimony to the religious nature of the Games (which were held in honor of Zeus, the most
important god in the ancient Greek pantheon), all wars would cease during the contests.
According to the earliest records, only one athletic event was held in the ancient Olympics —
a footrace of about 183 m (200 yd.), or the length of the stadium. A cook, Coroibus of Elis,
was the first recorded winner. The first few Olympics had only local appeal and were limited
to one race on one day; only men were allowed to compete or attend. A second race — twice
the length of the stadium — was added in the 14th Olympics, and a still longer race was added
to the next competition, four years later.
When the powerful, warlike Spartans began to compete, they influenced the agenda. The 18th
Olympiad included wrestling and a pentathlon consisting of running, jumping, spear throwing
(the javelin), discus throwing, and wrestling. Boxing was added at the 23rd Olympiad, and
the Games continued to expand, with the addition of chariot racing and other sports. In the
37th Olympiad (632 B.C.) the format was extended to five days of competition.
The growth of the Games fostered "professionalism" among the competitors, and the Olympic
ideals waned as royalty began to compete for personal gain, particularly in the chariot events.
Human beings were being glorified as well as the gods; many winners erected statues to deify
themselves. In A.D. 394 the Games were officially ended by the Roman emperor Theodosius
I, who felt that they had pagan connotations.
The Modern Olympics

The revival of the Olympic Games in 1896, unlike the original Games, has a clear, concise
history. Pierre de Coubertin (1863–1937), a young French nobleman, felt that he could
institute an educational program in France that approximated the ancient Greek notion of a
balanced development of mind and body. The Greeks themselves had tried to revive the
Olympics by holding local athletic games in Athens during the 1800s, but without lasting
success. It was Baron de Coubertin's determination and organizational genius, however that
gave impetus to the modern Olympic movement. In 1892 he addressed a meeting of the
Union des Sports Athlantiques in Paris. Despite meager response he persisted, and an
international sports congress eventually convened on June 16, 1894. With delegates from
Belgium, England, France, Greece, Italy, Russia, Spain, Sweden, and the United States in
attendance, he advocated the revival of the Olympic Games. He found ready and unanimous
support from the nine countries. De Coubertin had initially planned to hold the Olympic Games
in France, but the representatives convinced him that Greece was the appropriate country to
host the first modern Olympics. The council did agree that the Olympics would move every
four years to other great cities of the world.
Thirteen countries competed at the Athens Games in 1896. Nine sports were on the agenda:
cycling, fencing, gymnastics, lawn tennis, shooting, swimming, track and field, weight lifting,
and wrestling. The 14-man U.S. team dominated the track and field events, taking first place
in 9 of the 12 events. The Games were a success, and a second Olympiad, to be held in
France, was scheduled. Olympic Games were held in 1900 and 1904, and by 1908 the number
of competitors more than quadrupled the number at Athens — from 311 to 2,082.
Beginning in 1924, a Winter Olympics was included — to be held at a separate cold-weather
sports site in the same year as the Summer Games — the first held at Chamonix, France. In
1980 about 1,600 athletes from 38 nations competed at Lake Placid, N.Y., in a program that
included Alpine and Nordic skiing, biathlon, ice hockey, figure skating and speed skating,
bobsled, and luge.
But the Summer Games, with its wide array of events, are still the focal point of the modern
Olympics. Among the standard events are basketball, boxing, canoeing and kayaking, cycling,
equestrian arts, fencing, field hockey, gymnastics, modern pentathlon, rowing, shooting,
soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball, water polo, weight lifting,
wrestling (freestyle and Greco-Roman), and yachting. New sports are added to the roster at
every Olympic Games; among the more prominent are baseball, martial arts, and most
recently triathlon, which was first contested at the 2000 Games. The Games are governed by
the International Olympic Committee (IOC), whose headquarters is in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The summer and Winter Games were traditionally held in the same year, but because of the
increasing size of both Olympics, the Winter Games were shifted to a different schedule after
1992. They were held in Lillehammer, Norway in 1994, in Nagano, Japan in 1998, in Salt Lake
City, Utah in 2002, in Turin, Italy in 2006, and in 2010, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

The five Olympic rings represents the five continents involved in the Olympics and were
designed in 1913, adopted in 1914 and debuted at the Games. They stood for five regions
that participated at Antwerp, 1920.
Exercises:

1. What is Physical Education?

2. Why the history of physical Education is important?
3. What is the importance of Olympic Games?
4. Make your own definition of Physical Education.
5. How important is physical education to the success of a person?
6. Described your PE class in your senior high school years.
7. Tell me your expectation from this course.
8. Draw a diagram showing the brief historical foundation of Physical Education.
9. Why physical education is important in your life?
10. How physical education affects our daily life?
11. How important physical education in the psychomotor development of a person?
12. How important physical education in the cognitive development of a person?

END OF TOPIC 1
TOPIC 2: INTRODUCTION FOR PHYSICAL FITNESS

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this topic, the students are expected to:

1. To know the components of performance related fitness;

2. identify the categories pf Physical Fitness;
3. understand the aims of Physical Fitness;
4. discuss the role of exercises;
5. Show appreciation by attending and participating class discussion.

NOTES:
2.1. Physical fitness

 The ability of an individual to function, to tolerate stress in any form and to perform
daily tasks successfully.
 The capability of the heart, blood vessels, lungs and muscles to function at optimal
efficiency, the level of health needed for the enthusiastic and pleasurable participation
in daily tasks.
 A state of physical well-being that contribute in performing daily activities with vigor
or minimal risks of health problems related to lack of experience and providing fitness
base for participation in a variety of physical activities.
 The ability to demonstrate vigorous action that includes strength and agility.
 Refers to the physical and maybe called physical fitness, organic fitness or
physiological fitness
 Based on the foregoing definition, physical fitness is the ability to work with full energy
without stress.

2.2. Components of Physical Fitness

 Health Related Physical Fitness
 Skills or Performance Related Physical Fitness

Health Related Physical Fitness

Health-related physical fitness is defined as “those aspects of physiological and psychological

functioning are believed to offer some protection against generative-type diseases such as
coronary heart disease, obesity and various “musculoskeletal disorders”.
Physical characteristics that continue health-related fitness consists of cardiovascular
endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and body composition.

1. Cardiorespiratory or aerobics endurance- the ability to do moderately strenuous

activity over a period of time. It reflects how well your heart and lungs work together to
supply oxygen to your body during exertion and exercise.
2. Muscular Strength – refers to the amount of force a muscle or muscle group can exert,
also known as isometric strength.
3. Muscular endurance- the capacity to exert repetitive muscular force. Endurance of
skeletal muscles of the trunk helps maintain correct posture and prevents such problems
as low back pain.
4. Flexibility- the full range movements of a joint, is important to prevent possible injury
to ligaments and tendons.
5. Body composition – refers to the amount of lean versus fat tissues in the body.
Proportion of fat in the body compared to your bone and muscles

Skills or Performance Related Physical Fitness

The ability of the neuromuscular system to perform specific tasks. Though not essential for
health, it is necessary for the execution of sports skills.
 1. Speed – refers to the velocity or the ability to perform a movement in the shortest
amount of time.
2. Power – refers to work divided by time; the faster the completion of work the greater
the power.
3. Balance or Equilibrium – refers to the ability to maintain a desired position either
statistically and dynamically.
4. Coordination – the ability to integrate the body parts to produce smooth fluid motion.
5. Agility – the ability to rapidly change the direction while maintaining dynamic balance.
4. Reaction Time – represents the time that it takes to respond physically to given
stimulus. It is usually measured in fractions of a second.

2.3. Values and Importance of Physical Fitness

 Reduce the risk of premature death

 Reduce the risk of developing and/or dying from heart disease
 Reduce high blood pressure of the risks of developing high blood pressure
 Reduce high cholesterol or the risk of developing high cholesterol
 Reduce the risk of developing colon cancer and breast cancer
 Reduce the risk of diabetes
 Reduce or maintain body weight or body fat
 Build and maintain healthy muscles, bones and joints
 Reduce depression and anxiety
 Improve psychological well-being
 Enhanced work, reaction and sport performance

2.4. Meaning and purpose of Physical Fitness Test

A fitness test, also known as a fitness assessment, is comprised of a series of exercises

that help evaluate your overall health and physical status. There is wide of range of
standardized tests used for these exams, some of which are intended for medical purposes
and others of which establish whether you are qualified to participate (such as with the Army
combat readiness test).

For general health and fitness purposes, the tests are considered the starting point for
designing an appropriate exercise program. They are meant to ensure you won't be at risk of
harm and provide the trainer with the insights needed to establish clear and effective fitness
goals

The Euro fit Physical Fitness Test Battery is a set of nine physical fitness tests covering
flexibility, speed, endurance and strength. The standardized test battery was devised by the
Council of Europe, for children of school age and has been used in many European schools
since 1988.

Exercises:
1. What are the benefits of physical fitness essay?
2. What is the importance of physical fitness?
3. Differentiate health related components from skills related components of physical
fitness.
4. What person’s needed most? Strength or power?
5. Discuss the importance of physical fitness in our daily living.

END OF TOPIC 2
TOPIC 3: Movement Competency Training

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this topic, the students are expected to:

1. Develop an understanding of how to improve your movement competence,

2. Demonstrate an understanding of the phases of movement skills while participating in
a variety of physical activities,
3. Apply appropriate movement principles to refine your skills in undertaking a variety of
physical activities,
4. Show appreciation by attending and participating class discussion.

NOTES:

3.1. Introduction

The Movement Competence strand helps children & youth develop the movement
competence needed to participate in physical activities through the development of movement
skills and the related application of movement concepts and movement strategies. The
development of fundamental movement skills in association with the application of movement
concepts and principles provides the basic foundation for physical literacy.

An understanding of fundamental skills and concepts is essential both to an individual’s

development of effective motor skills and to the application of these skills in a wide variety of
physical activities. The focus of the learning in this strand is on transferable skills, with the
goal of having children & youth understand how skills, concepts, and strategies learned in one
activity can apply to other activities.

What Influences How We Move?

How we move while performing any physical activity, whether that activity is
something we need or want to do, is influenced by many factors — for example, our
motivation, our abilities, and the environment. Movement is influenced by our characteristics
as individuals and by everything around us. In other words, how we move depends on the
context in which we are performing an activity. The factors that influence our movement
patterns can be broadly categorized into three types:

 Personal Factor
 Environmental Factor
 Task or Activity

Movement competencies are essential to participate in physical activity. If

movement competencies are not developed and nurtured from a young age, this can lead to
inactivity and the health and social problems linked to inactivity.

The following graphic provides examples of how movement competencies set a foundation for
participation in different activities:
3.2. The Seven Key Movement Features

As a first step in improving your movement competence, it is important

to know which features of a movement pattern matter. When performing activities such as
jumping for are bound, lifting a backpack, or sitting in a chair while studying,
which aspects of your movement will influence your performance, your susceptibility
to injury, or your long-term health? Paying attention to the seven key movement
features, which are shown and described in detail on the following page, can help you
build your capacity and enhance your overall quality of life. Simply becoming aware of
these key movement features could change your movement behaviors, alter your
daily movement habits, and improve your enjoyment of life.

The seven key movement features are:

1. Knees in line with the feet and hips

2. Body weight centered over mid-foot
3. Normal low back curvature (avoid rounding and arching)
4. Normal low back curvature (avoid bending sideways — the shoulders and hips remain
parallel)
5. Shoulders and hips rotate together
6. Shoulders down and away from the ears
7. Shoulders back (elbow and shoulder move in the same direction)

3.3. Fundamental Movement Patterns

 Push: involves moving an external object away from your body or pushing your
body away from an object or surface, as in a push-up.
 Pull: involve pulling an object toward your body, or pull your body toward an
object. Like pushing, pulling is typically used to describe the upper body only.
 Squat: involves lowering your body weight by bending your ankles and knees.
 Lunge: involves one leg extended or bent in front of the body while the other leg is
extended or bent behind the body.
 Hinge: any movement that involves flexion and extension of the hips. Ideally, the
spine will be kept in a neutral position to prevent injury, maximize performance, or
improve quality of life.
 Rotation: movements are the basic twisting exercises, such as twisting to throw a
ball
3.4. Movement competencies into specific skills

1. Sending: Movement to move or send an object away. This can include throwing,
kicking, or head-butting.
Example: If the goal of the game is to hit a target: It can be thrown underhand or overhand
using the hand or kicking.

2. Receiving: Catching or receiving an object. This include catching, using a foot to

stop a ball, trapping an object with their body or receiving an object with both
or one hand.

3. Transporting: Ways to move around an environment such as walking, running,

hopping, skipping, and jumping. May also include rolling or tumbling.

4. Body Control: Involves balance and skills that require to move one part of the body
while keeping the other still.

5. Coordinated Movement: Combines different types of movement skills together in

everyday activities or play. This can include catching a ball while running or navigating an
outdoor playground

3.5. Types of Movement Skills

Many movement skills fall into one of three categories: stability (in this context, whole-body
stability), locomotion, and manipulation:

 Stability skills involve the body balancing in one place (static balance; e.g., standing
on a balance beam) or balancing in motion (dynamic balance; e.g., doing a rotation
on the beam).
 Locomotion skills involve the body moving in any direction (e.g., walking, running,
jumping, and hopping).
 Manipulation skills include throwing and catching skills or skills related to striking
with the hands, the feet, or an implement (e.g., kicking, volleying, batting, and
dribbling)

3.6. The Phases of Performing a Skill

Not all movement skills can be broken down into distinct phases. Riding
a bicycle and brushing your teeth are but two examples. However, breaking a discrete
movement skill such as throwing or kicking into its various phases is a useful way to identify
your strengths and weaknesses with a view to further improvement. Teachers and coaches
do this all the time. A teacher or coach will focus on how a student performs during each
phase of a skill, identify strengths and weaknesses, and offer advice as to what the student
can do to execute that phase more effectively.

The four phases of a movement skill are usually identified as:

 Preparation phase
The preparation phase involves getting a secure footing and a firm grip on the racquet,
then beginning to bring the joints and muscles into action. The quadriceps and gluteal
muscles of the hip and thigh play an important role in generating power on the
serve, as does the swinging of the racquet. “Winding up” is another term for the
preparation phase in tennis.

 Force production phase

Power on the tennis serve is produced from the hips, legs, shoulder, elbow, and wrist
action occurring in a well-coordinated sequence. Uncoiling the various positions
 reached in the preparation stage and timing them accurately are the keys to a
powerful serve.

 Critical instant phase

In a tennis serve, the “critical instant” is when the entire wrist finally snaps into play
and the tennis ball is struck— all the momentum built up in the swing is transferred to
the tennis ball at that point. In a jump shot in basketball, the critical instant is when
the ball finally leaves the fingers. For a slap-shot in hockey, the critical instant is the
moment when the hockey stick makes contact with the puck.

 Recovery and follow-through phase

Typically, experienced tennis players will have both feet off the ground when they
finally strike the ball on the serve. Finishing the serving motion, landing, and then
regaining balance are important aspects of the recovery and follow-though phase.
Coaches and teachers will be alert to this phase, providing advice to ensure that their
player is ready for the return shot.

3.7. Fundamental Sports Skills

Sport for Life has identified a series of fundamental sports skills that
they believe are important to learn, especially in the early years. The hope is that once a
certain level of competence has been established the following skills become transferable:

• throwing • jumping
• catching • kicking
• striking • agility, balance, and
• running coordination (“ABCs”)

3.8. Types of Movement at Joints

The other two movement principles you will learn about involve joint movements.
Movements at joints can be described in terms of the types of actions involved. Some of these
terms— for example, flexion and extension — have become part of our normal English
vocabulary. Other terms are more technical and are used mainly by teachers,
coaches, and exercise professionals.

Some of the more common terms used when describing movement at joints are
explained below:

Flexion/extension

 Flexion is the action of bending at a joint such that the joint angle decreases. An
example of flexion is when you bend your elbow to bring your palm up toward your
face.
 Extension is the opposite of flexion. It occurs when you increase the joint angle.
When you straighten your arm from the flexed position, you are extending your arm
Abduction/adduction

 Abduction occurs when you move a body segment to the side and away from your
body. An example of abduction is when you move your arm out to the side and bring
it level with your shoulder.

 Adduction is the opposite of abduction and occurs when you move a body segment
toward your body. You adduct your arm when you bring it back down to your side.

Supination/pronation
 Supination is rotating the wrist such that the palm of your hand is facing forward.
When you catch a softball underhanded with one hand, you must supinate your
wrist.
 Pronation occurs in the opposite direction of supination. When you dribble a
basketball, you first have to pronate your wrist
 Dorsiflexion/plantar flexion
 Plantar flexion is also specific to the ankle joint. It
occurs when you point your toes.
 Dorsiflexion occurs when you bend at the ankle to
bring the top of your foot closer to your shin. It is essential
when walking or jumping.

Inversion/Eversion
 Inversion is a result of standing on the outer edge of your foot. It is normally what
happens when you twist your ankle.
 Eversion also is associated with the ankle joint. Eversion is a result of standing on
the inner edge of your foot.

Internal rotation/external rotation

 External rotation results when you twist or turn a body part
outward from the midline, for example when you turn your toes
outward.
 Internal rotation results when
you twist or turn a body part
inward toward the midline, for
example when you turn your toes
inward

Circumduction
 Circumduction is a combination of flexion, extension,
abduction, and adduction all wrapped up into one
movement. An example of this occurs in softball, when
a pitcher throws the ball with a windmill action.

END OF PRELIM MODULE