SKILL RELATED COMPONENTS

Skill-related Physical Fitness

- consists of those components of fitness that have a relationship with enhanced
performance in athletic activities.
- Skill-related fitness abilities increases one’s ability to perform in various activities
and only has an indirect connection with health.
- The skill-related components of fitness are considered to be agility, balance,
coordination, power, speed, and reaction time though some people feel that other
abilities such as spatial awareness should be included. It is assumed that kids who
have who posses a high skill-related fitness will be more likely to participate in a
variety of activities and for this reason will also exemplify a high standard of health-
related fitness.
- Agility refers to a person’s ability to move their body quickly and easily. This also
includes their ability to quickly change their direction while maintaining their balance.
Some examples of agility are:
• stepping aside quickly in the hallway to avoid running into someone else
• stopping, starting and changing directions quickly to avoid a defender
- Balance refers to a person’s ability to maintain their equilibrium when moving or
when they are in a stationary position. Some examples of balance are:
• performing a v-sit on the beam or on the floor
• landing after a rebound in basketball
• regaining balance after ‘stepping in opposition when serving a ball
- Coordination refers to a person’s ability to perform complex movements due to
the working together of the nervous system and the muscles of the body. This is also
referred to as a person’s ability to do two things at the same time. Some examples of
coordination are:
• catching a ball in a lacrosse scoop while running
• dribbling a ball while moving
• hitting a pickleball while moving forward on the court
- Power refers to a person’s ability to transfer energy into force at a rapid pace also
known as explosive body movement. Power is considered to be a combination of
strength and speed. Some examples of power include putting the shot and vertical
jumping. There are, however, many different types of power and total assessment
would require many different tests
- Speed refers to a person’s ability to move fast. Speed combined with strength will
provide power and force. This is a skill-related component of physical fitness that
relates to the ability to perform a movement within a short period of time. There are
many different types of speed such as running speed, swimming speed, speed of hand
or foot movement to name but a few. Among athletes a 40 yard dash is often used to
measure speed. There are a wide variety of tests of speed that are specific to different
movements and activities. Some examples of speed are:
● running a fast-break in basketball
 ● moving a racquet fast through the ‘hitting zone’ to hit a ball harder
● running fast to catch a Frisbee during an ultimate Frisbee game
- Reaction time is a skill-related component of physical fitness that relates to the time
between one of your senses recognizing a stimulus and your body moving in
response. One example of reaction time is moving your foot from the accelerator to
the brake pedal when reacting to a situation that requires a person to stop a car
- Spatial awareness refers to a person’s ability to know where they are in relationship
to teammates, opponents, boundary lines, goals and other objects. Some examples of
spatial awareness are:
• knowing where you are in relationship to the end of the balance beam when
walking backwards
• knowing where you are in relationship to teammates so that you can set them a
ball in volleyball
• when playing basketball, knowing where the defender is so that you can dribble
around them or shoot
- Skill-related fitness components are assessed with several different tests. Such
components as reaction time and speed are considered by some to be more related to
heredity than healthy lifestyles, especially in young people.

TRAINING PRINCIPLES

Overload
- bodies under additional stress
- long-term adaptations
- can be achieved by FITT
Frequency: Increasing the number of times you train per week
Intensity: Increasing the difficulty of the exercise you do.
Time: Increasing the length of time that you are training for each session.
Type: Increase the difficulty of the training you are doing.

Specificity
- the training should be specific to you and your sport
- train the skill components that are most important to your sport
- You should also test the components which are important in your sport to see your
strengths and weaknesses so that you can focus on improving your weak points.

Variance
- vary your training to keep yourself interested and your body a challenge
- many athletes play different sports in between their main season

Intensity
 - is how hard you train, for example faster, heavier, less recovery. Intensity is
increased by lifting a greater resistance, such as with weight training, or by
training at a higher percentage of maximum heart rate

Duration and Frequency

Duration
- Length of one training session/ entire training program
Frequency
- Amount of sessions

Plateauing and Detraining

Diminishing Returns
- Fitness level increases, rate of improvement slows
- Overload needs to be managed to avoid injury or overtraining
Reversibility/ Detraining
- if you stop training then the improvements you have made will be reversed
- Lost of fitness when training stops
Maintenance
- Fitness level is easier to maintain once maximum is reached compared to when you
started.
Individuality
- Responses to training programs vary individually

SPEED

Definition
- the rate at which someone or something is able to move or operate
- Speed can be applied in sports in a manner of different functions like: the speed of an
athlete, throwing an object, hitting a homerun ball, speed of passing a baton, ball,
puck, or the athlete’s reaction to a ball thrown in order to catch or produce an
outstanding performance and perfect execution.

10 Major Benefits of Speed Training

1. Stronger stride
- Your running speed is determined by stride – specifically, by how far each
stride carries you and how fast you can complete it.
- Train your nervous system and muscles to increase force production with each
stride.

2. More Muscle
 - A variety of methods can be used to build up muscle faster. Increase the level
of resistance that the muscle is experiencing, increase the number of
repetitions or increase the number of sets.

3. Better fat burn

- You burn 100 percent fat while standing still after a sprint, resistance exercise,
or other high-intensity effort.

4. Reduced Risk of Injury

- Training for speed reduces it – if you do it right. Speed training puts your
muscles through a fuller range of motion, improving flexibility. It trains more
muscles (and more muscle fibers within muscles), leading to better muscle
balance.

5. Stronger bone and other connective tissue

- By adding speedwork and resistance training, you can increase running’s
strengthening effect for bones, tendons, fascia, and even ligaments.

6. More Anaerobic Endurance

- The first 30 to 40 seconds of any run or race is largely fueled by anaerobic
energy. At the start of exercise, there is a 30 to 40 second delay before you can
provide your muscles with enough oxygen to increase aerobic energy
production.

7. Improved Running Economy

- Running economy is a complex concept, but in this part, it measures how efficiently
you use oxygen at a given running speed.

8. Better Balance and Proprioception

- Without balance, you would topple every time your foot touched the ground. And
without proprioception your legs would tangle with each stride. By incorporating
dynamic moves into your speed training such as running backward, side steps, and
single-leg exercises, it really improves your ability to handle any terrain.

9. Improved Agility
- Agility depends on balance and proprioception, but it also requires its own
unique prescription of neuromuscular communication and strengthening.
 Performing quick footwork with ladder and cone drills will also boost your
agility off the run.

10. Easier Strides

- Every time your foot lands, your tendons and other connective tissues stretch,
storing energy generated by motion and gravity. More than 50 percent of the
energy used during each stride comes from that elastic recoil so strengthening
the tendons and nervous system pathways involved will make you stronger,
faster, and give you a more effortless stride.

Most Important Part of Speed Training

During the support phase, the runners have only 0.1-0.2 seconds to take off from the surface
and do another flight phase. Within such a short time, the athlete must apply as high rate of
force development (RFD) as possible at take-off; whereas the maximum growth in force
occurs only at times between 0.6 and 0.8 s. Training of maximum rate of force development
within a limited time interval in specific sports skills is an important part of training
performing speed.

Rate Force Development (RFD)

The rate of force development (RFD) is a measure of explosive strength, or simply how fast
an athlete can develop force. Athletes with higher rates of force development have been
shown to perform better during numerous physical performance tests. This, therefore,
highlights the potential importance this value has in the role of athletic development.
Net power output plays an important role in training performing speed. For instance, in
javelin throw, the length of throw depends on two basic parameters: release angle and release
speed. Choosing release angle is a matter of technique of this skill. Reached release speed is
related to reached net power output. The athlete must be able to reach maximum net power
output with mass defined in advance (in this case it is the weight of the javelin). Net power
output results from the relationship of velocity of movement and force which causes the
movement.

Timing
is the ability to coincide movements in relation to external factors. It is is a combination of
decision-making, coordination and reaction time which gets the player in the right place at
the right time

Boyle's athletes ran plenty of untimed sprints over the years, but he now believes those might
not even qualify as real speed work. Why? Because timing changes everything. When the
athlete doesn't know how fast they're actually running, it's very difficult for them to self-
organize and train with intent. They don't know if something just felt fast, or if it actually was
fast. They don't know how long they must rest between reps to maintain top speed. But once
sprinting becomes "gamified" with consistent timing, buy-in shoots through the roof. The
results have been eye-opening.

Designing a Speed Training Program

- aims to:
- Improve acceleration
- Increase maximal velocity
- Maintain velocity against the onset of fatigue

● Strength and Power Training

○ strength and explosive power are relevant in one's sprint performance
○ usually measured with power tests such as jump squats, reactive jumps and
short sprints and strength testing.
○ The more force a muscle can produce, the more potential there is for greater
power and speed
○ Improves speed of muscle contraction or the rate of force development.

● Sprinting Technique
○ condition the metabolic and neuromuscular systems

● Basic Speed Training

○ Combination of strength, power and sprint training
○ improve reaction time, acceleration, top speed and deceleration
 ○ Can be done simply by running uphill and downhill (Incline running improves
hip flexion and extension; Downhill running improves coordination and stride
frequency)

● Agility Training
○ convert basic speed into sport-specific speed
○ becomes difficult in the presence of fatigue

● Speed Endurance Training

○ ability to repeat rapid movements with minimal loss of speed
○ Done by reducing the work to rest ratio and increasing the work intervals

● Periodization of a Speed Training Program

○ varies over the course of the year.
○ emphasis it is given at any point in the season obviously depends on the sport

For team sports:

Early Pre-Season
- general conditioning
- strength training and endurance training
- Little or no sprint work
- Sprinting technique (non-fatiguing and low intensity)

Late Pre-Season
- Strength is converted into explosive power
- Basic speed training and agility training
 - 2-4 sessions per week and can take up to 8 weeks

In-Season
- Speed and agility training is maintained
- 1-2 sessions per week

Transition / Closed Season

- active recovery and regeneration

AGILITY

Definition

- a skill-related component of physical fitness that relates to the ability to rapidly

change the position of the entire body in space with speed and accuracy.
- in sport is an athlete’s ability to “move at an accelerated pace in one direction and
then instantly decelerate and shift position within a matter of seconds.”
- It is understood that there’s various elements that contribute to agility, these include;
the ability to process visuals, timing and reaction time, perception and of course
anticipation.
- Although this term is often alternated with ‘change of direction of speed’ there’s a
distinction to make between the two here. Simply put, agility in sport is about reacting
to unpredictable movements and environments. Whilst change of direction of speed is
more about a physical ability, often performed in planned environments.
- For further clarity, it’s worth noting that agility is not just about speed either. It’s also
the fluidity of movement that goes with it too.

Why is agility important?

Agility in sport is often a predicator of great talent. It can distinguish between a good athlete
and a great one, simply by assessing how quick they are to react to a change in the game.

There are some sports where this is rifer than others. For instance, in tennis, where reactions
need to be quick sharp to change direction instantly to meet the ball. Martial arts, football and
cricket are other similar sports, where this kind of quick reaction is beneficial in a
competitive game.

In a review of the top sports ranked by agility; football, basketball, tennis, ice-hockey and
badminton were in the top five disciplines.

Although some athletes may have a greater ‘flair’ than others, agility is still a skill that can be
learnt and honed with practice and is a consideration for every sports coach within their
athletes training programme.
Agility is therefore important for overall performance, as well as facing opponents in sport.

Testing your agility

As our understanding of agility in sport has improved over the years, so too have tests to
measure it. However, this remains a complex skill to evaluate, and it’s best to work in
partnership with your sports coaching team to find the best test for you.

A typical test might include shuttle runs. These are used to build agility as well as test it.
With markers in place, the athlete sprints from each to the next, usually in 30 feet runs, with
timings monitored.

The ‘Illinois Agility Test’ is another favourite, and since it has been running for years has a
benchmark of grades that can be applied to candidates. It uses a running course with cones,
this requires the athlete to weave in between them, to test their movement and reaction as
well as speed.

The T-Test is another way to examine an athlete’s agility in sport. Similar to the above, it
also uses cones spread out in a ‘T’ shape, inviting the athlete to negotiate their way in
between each of these within a certain timeframe.

There are various other tests as well, including: Side-step, Hexagon test, Quick feet test, the
3-cone drill, box drill, quadrant jump test and many others, most of which use cones.

These tests may well use the SPARQ rating, which looks at; power, agility, reaction and
quickness as part of the overall evaluation.

Improving your agility

Agility is not an exclusive skill. There’s a number of other elements that too come in to play
too, this includes; coordination, balance, power, timing and suppleness.

That said, there are some specific exercise that can help improve agility in sport, these
include:

Mini Obstacle Course: Easy to set up, form the cones in a five-point star and set up tasks
around them. Work with your sports coach to devise a method that will challenge you and
improve your agility. Tasks involve star jumps, tuck jumps with bursts of running and
touching the floor.

Agility drills: these can vary, but may include jumps from side to side. Tuck jumps, going
from a vertical squat to a top jump with extended legs to land. To forward and backward
sprints.

Lateral plyometric jumps; a great way to build explosive power while improving balance and
coordination, and all by using your own body weight. This advanced technique requires the
athlete to stand with their feet hip-width apart and knees bent to squat, in a straight down
position. From here push through your heels, upwards and sideways to the line. This is all
about landing softly in the squat position and then repeating the jump again, over the line this
time, with shoulders forward facing. These can be performed in 30 to 60 second intervals on
repeat.

Dot drills: For this you need an x-shape pattern. Use large dots as a guide to jump to and
from, this can be a great way to increase agility and mobility often used in sports such as
skiing.

Running: In terms of sport, running is one of the best overall workouts, that will help with
endurance and speed. As an aerobic exercise, it may also help with explosive power and
increasing speed too.

Benefits of Agility Training

1. Injury prevention
Many injuries happen when the body falls out of alignment in motion—think of
pulling the muscles in your lower back if you lift from an improper position, or
tearing the ligaments in a knee if you misstep. Agility training increases balance,
control and flexibility, allowing the body to maintain proper posture and alignment
during movement. Agility training helps the body learn correct body placement,
meaning sensitive areas like the shoulders, lower back and knees are protected while
moving quickly
2. The mind-body connection
Agility training helps build pathways in the brain for fast responses to various stimuli.
At first, the responsive movements will seem forced, but as you practice, they will
become more natural
3. Improved balance and coordination
Ever watched a gymnast on a balance beam? Her movements are dynamic, fluid and
perfectly balanced. Agility training encourages the body to develop balance in the
midst of dynamic movement, much like the gymnast on the beam. Practicing quick
stops and starts, hand-eye coordination and speed help the body work as a whole.
 When the body is working in sync, movements become more fluid, for smooth,
coordinated transitions
4. Improved recovery time
Sometimes an intense workout can leave you with sore muscles and decreased energy
levels the next day. But the bursts of movement in agility training, when practiced
over a sustained period of time, help build strength in the musculoskeletal system,
which in turn can shorten recovery time
5. Increased results in minimal time
Often agility training drills are also HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) exercises,
which can produce noticeable results in a minimal amount of time. Non-linear
movements, such as side-stepping footwork using an Agility Ladder, or running a
slalom course around Agility Cones, engage a greater number of muscles than if you
were to simply run in a straight line. Engaging more muscles translates into greater
results from your workout

Take outs
Agility in sport is a skill that most athletes will hone over time. However, as with any skill, it
can be developed and improved with hard-work and commitment.

The benefits of being an agile sports person, is that you will have a competitive edge over
other players, being able to react to instant changes in the game to your advantage.

There’s a number of exercises that can be integrated into a training programme, mostly
involving squats, jumps and the use of cones, to improve your output over time.