Analysis 15 marks

Analysis Section

Strength one- Fitness component: Speed

Within my chosen sport of football, the fitness component that I have identified which is
my strength is speed. Speed can be defined as the maximum rate a person can move or
cover a distance in a period. In football, speed can be different depending on the scenario
as there are long distances to run and short sprint distances. Fullbacks and wingbacks make
sprints when their teammate needs them on their side. Therefore, as a wing-back, I would
need to make an overlapping run to support my winger as it is now a 2v1. If the winger
chooses to pass to me, I have many options such as putting a cross in the box or finding
another player, dribbling with the ball myself into the box or I could pass back to the
winger as they are in a better position now. Or my overlap would distract the defender as
they would not know who to focus on and could make a lapse in judgement. At times I
have been able to help defend counterattacks or when the team is under pressure, and I
have been able to cover distance quickly and help minimise the opposition’s attacking
opportunities. Furthermore, I have been able to cover distance which helped provide cover
for teammates when they were out of position, if I was not fast enough, I would not have
been able to do this which could have led to a goal being conceded which would also make
the player who was out of position feel angry and annoyed at themselves as they think they
have costed the goal. This could lead to the player performing worse as in their mind the
goal is their fault and that is why the team is losing.

In counter-attacking situations the ability to shift positions and close gaps helps win games
as conceding in such crucial moments would result in either losing or drawing which is not
good for the team. If my speed was not there then we possibly would have lost a few
matches which would lower morale and demotivate players. Additionally, that would lead
to teammates playing with less motivation. It is important to play with motivation and drive
because that would lead to the team achieving joint goals and finding success among the
team. Moreover, speed is a crucial fitness component for me in football because it has
helped me when I have made misplaced passes and my speed helped me recover and make
last-minute tackles without my speed, I could have made a late foul which could have led
to being sent off or injuring myself while trying to make the foul. My speed also helps me
to keep composure on the ball and run with the ball swiftly which helps me find the right
passes to my teammates to help create a chance to score. Additionally, speed can also be
used to help me beat the opposition team’s winger for lob passes and long through balls
and my speed helps me intercept them and win the ball back.

Speed is also key for intercepting passes, as a fullback I can expect where some passes may
be going. With the help of my speed, I can intercept intended passes and close down
passing lanes swiftly which helps disrupt the opposition’s attacking movement, I will
regain possession and help create counterattacks. Another way how speed helps me
intercept passes is how fast I am to adjust my body direction and drive towards the ball
which helps my chances to reach the ball before the opponent. By intercepting the ball, I
can create a fast start and catch the opposition out of shape or off guard and pick a player
who creates a chance as the opposition was caught out.

Agility benefits my speed and is very important for me when playing football as a
defender. Agility is the ability to move and change direction quickly whilst maintaining
control. As I am agile, I can turn faster, intercept passes between midfielders and attackers
and then play a through ball to my winger which helps create a goal. I need to be alert as
there could be any type of ball coming across me, whether it’s a lobbed pass, a pass
between the lines or a simple pass into the opposition player’s feet, I need to be focused
and must make decisions quicker. Reaction time is important for me as it allows me to
process information faster than the opposition, having a fast reaction time assists me when
making decisions, especially crucial decisions when the ball is with me in the six-yard box
or when defending a corner. Reaction time is the time taken to initiate a response to a
stimulus. It is imperative that my reaction time is good because I need to be able to sprint
for a loose ball, tackle the opponent to win possession of the ball or make a successful pass
which would be unexpected from me for newer oppositions. My low reaction time allows
me to take quick throw-ins and launch them far to the winger and help create an attack and
it has also helped me in set-pieces, previously, I had taken a quick free-kick as the
opposition team were not alert and did not expect it. I saw my teammate in space
unmarked, so I chose to play a through ball pass to him which led to a goal as he passed it
right to the striker it was a simple tap-in for him while the opposition team stood around
clueless and allowed this to happen. Speed and reaction time are important for me when the
opposition has played a lobbed pass, and I must turn my body direction and sprint to the
ball before the winger on my side. Reaction time helps me with responding to those types
of attacking plays because I can respond to the stimulus faster and it helps me stay alert.
My speed is crucial in these situations as the attackers I am usually facing are quite rapid,
so my speed helps me compete with the demands of the environment I am in when playing
football.

Coordination is defined as the ability to use two or more body parts together smoothly and
efficiently and I must have good coordination because it allows me to make decisions
faster, be more skilful, improve my technique of passing, and change direction faster.
Balance is vital as well as I use my arms to support my legs when they are moving in
different directions, and this allows me to find and pick out the best pass for my teammates.
Speed helps me when I am making a recovery run as the team could lose possession of the
ball further up the pitch and the opposition initiates a counterattack. Coordination allows
me to control and maintain balance when changing direction rapidly, this ensures that I can
get back into the right defensive position and help avoid potential threats. Foot-eye
coordination is the ability to process visual information to guide the feet. Foot-eye
coordination is key in football for a defender like me as it helps when I need to return a
quick one-two to my teammate to help start an attack. Foot-eye coordination allows me to
make accurate passes to my winger and find him when he is unmarked and in space or it
helps me to switch the play to the other fullback so he can then play a side-line pass to the
left winger and help the attack. Furthermore, speed and coordination would be used when a
lofted pass has been played to me when I am in an attacking position, overlapping and have
to control the ball bring it down to my feet and play a cross to the striker in the box so they
can score or the overlap creates a 2v1 overload on one side of the pitch so space is created
and opposition players are pulled out of their position to try and defend potential threats.

Movement and balance are pivotal in football when sprinting, passing, or anything related
to football. They are important when having to jump when a corner has been played when
defending or attacking. Good speed requires acceleration which can be defined as the rate
of change in velocity and explosive power is the product of speed and strength. I must have
good acceleration as I need to be able to make quick, sharp movements when trying to
perform a skill or trying to bait in the opposition player, so they come out of their position.
When attacking a corner, I would need to use explosive power to jump up high and get a
good flight so I could head the ball, score a goal, and help the team. Whereas, when
defending I would need to be able to jump high and stop any headers from being conceded,
especially when corners or free kicks are played into the box. Oppositions have previously
had long-distance free-kicks around 30 yards away from the goal and the free-kick taker
has decided that he wants to loft it into the box and find a teammate and they have headed
it before. I have then had to jump up high and generate power to stop the header from
going in which relies on movement heavily if my movement was poor, then I would not be
able to jump as high or I would fall on the pitch and hurt myself with a possible chance of
injuring myself. When playing football, I am heavily reliant on speed because without that
it’s a huge flaw in my game as a defender as I need to make countless runs (overlaps or
underlaps) to help the attack or sprint back to help fail counterattacks from the opposition.
If my speed was poor, attackers/wingers would dribble past me with ease, and I wouldn’t
be able to track back or stop them. This would put my team at a huge disadvantage as I
would struggle to tackle defenders with my ‘poor’ speed.

At times in my performance, it is evident that speed can be incredibly beneficial for me

because speed allows me to help the team. For example, I was playing against Romford
Football Club on 25th November 2023 and my impressive speed allowed me to overlap and
underlap in situations and then cross the ball into the box and our striker heading into the
back of the net, this would not have been possible if speed was not a strength of mine. I
have also been able to stop counterattacks from occurring as there was a corner for the
opposition and it was just before the halftime whistle. The corner was unsuccessful, and the
opposition team were able to pick up the loose ball, I was in the 6-yard box close to the
opposition keeper, I sprinted and was able to stop a through ball being played to the
attacker and was able to tackle the opposition. I received extrinsic feedback as the crowd
cheered on after and the coach was clapping, this boosted my motivation and made me play
better as positive feedback improves my overall mood when playing.

Another example is when I was playing against Dagenham & Redbridge on 15th
September 2023 and my explosive speed and changes in acceleration allowed me to make
quick sharp movements when overlapping, allowing for an overload on the right-hand side.
I was able to allow my teammates to get into space whilst I held the ball up and I would
pass to them through the utilisation of the short side pass which I used to my advantage.
This then allowed my teammate to dribble past two defenders in the box, apply a power
shot and score. Additionally, I had made a forward run when the goalkeeper had the ball
and he was able to pick me out, I brought the ball down with control and the opposition
team was unprepared for this which allowed me to play a low cross into the edge of the box
(around the 18-yard box) and my teammate was able to score using a low driven shot.
These examples outline the importance of my speed as without speed being my fitness
strength, I wouldn’t have been able to help the team create these goal-scoring chances and
be awarded assists. I was awarded with ‘Player of The Match’ and praise from teammates
and coach due to speed being a vital part of my performance.

Strength two- (Skill): Passing

After assessing my performance in football, I have concluded that my skill strength is

passing. In football, passing is the ability to keep possession of the ball by manoeuvring it
on the ground between different players to advance it up the playing field. Normally, there
are 3 types of passes in football, there’s short passes, long passes, and a through ball.
Generally, short passes are often aimed at the nearest teammate. Long passes are switching
the ball on a different part of the pitch to a teammate and an example of this is by switching
the play from a more congested side to a side that has a player in a lot of space who could
create a promising attack. A through pass is completely different from both the other passes
mentioned because through ball passes usually come from the defenders or midfielders.
The through pass is sent into the attack preferably for an attacker to beat the defensive line,
this is to open space between defenders to create a promising attack. Similarly, long passes
and through passes are arriving from different sides of the pitch. Passing is important for
my position as I must be able to play side-line passes to my winger or trivela passes to the
midfielder so he can then play a through ball pass or a lobbed pass to the striker and catch
the opposition off guard and create a goal-scoring opportunity. I pass back to the centre-
backs or goalkeeper when there are no options found as it is a dangerous area of the pitch
to give possession away therefore passing being my skill strength is a key component to
my game.

Coordination is needed for passing. Coordination is the ability to use two or more body
parts together smoothly and efficiently. This is vital for me as a fullback in football because
I may need to be running while passing and expecting the pass back to me from my
teammate. The run would allow me to get into an attacking position to help put a cross into
the box and hopefully, a teammate would head it into the goal. Reaction time is pivotal for
passing. Reaction time is defined as the time taken to respond to a stimulus, reaction time is
needed when the opposition attack starts to press together at high intensity, I need to be
able to play the correct type of pass with the right technique otherwise it may lead to me
losing possession of the ball and the opposition team being able to have a free attack from
my misplaced pass. Power is defined as strength x speed. Power would be used in football
when taking long-range free kicks or playing the ball further across the pitch in the hope
that a teammate receives the ball and can act on the pass. If I didn’t have good power my
passes wouldn’t reach the teammate in distance and the opposition could intercept the pass
instead and start an attack. Speed supports my ability of passing as I can make constant
overlaps or underlaps in forward positions and receive the ball and then I can either play a
cross into the box or play a through ball or I can cut back. This would help the team
because as a team we are creating multiple big chances to score whilst trying to win the
match.

Short passes are often performed with the inside of the foot and the inside foot would
contact the centre of the ball as the protagonist's foot comes through. Then, the antagonist's
foot needs to be flexing in front and the protagonist's foot next to it. This allows for more
stability and more fluidity when passing allowing for maximum control of the pass. Long
passes are performed with more complexity. Firstly, keep your eye on the ball until it is
controlled by you, then look up and pick out a teammate in space. Next, a strong body
position should be maintained, and explosive power would need to be applied with the
protagonist's foot kicking and striking the ball with the laces of their boot. The playmaker
would need to aim to hit the lower half of the ball to ensure it gets height and goes above
the opposition players' heads. The speed of the protagonist's leg will determine how hard
you kick the ball. If all these steps are applied correctly, this should result in the pass
reaching the intended target of the ball. Through ball passes are performed with the head up
to choose the correct player and see if they are in space. Strike the middle of the ball and
follow through the pass to the target with the protagonist's foot. Trivela passes are much
more complex and require more decisions to be made. Firstly, the kicking foot needs to be
diagonal behind the ball. Then, the toes of the passing foot need to be pointed down and
inwards. It is crucial to contact the bottom part of the ball and finally, you need to follow
through the ball. As I can perform these types of passes, it makes me a better footballer and
allows me to help the team as I can play in a midfield position if needed. If the CDM was
injured or unfit I could fill the role as I have the speed to play in the positions and my
varied passes can help find teammates and score. I have had to play long passes to switch
the play as there was an overload on my side so I switched the ball to the left full-back so
we could find a way to attack from a different side. This also gives the team an advantage
as not many fullbacks are adapted to fill roles. It provides my teammates with a sense of
belief as they know that 99% of the time, I will find them in a dangerous attacking position
where they can score.

At times in my performance, it is evident that passing can be incredibly beneficial for me

and the team as passing being a strength of mine allows me to pick out teammates and help
create chances which have led to goals being scored. For example, I was playing against
Byron Red Star FC on 15th July 2023. I received the ball while the right side of the pitch
was overloaded with players, and I switched the play to the opposite (left) side and allowed
for a chance to be made as there were large amounts of space over there due to the overload
from the opposition. When I played that long pass, I scouted the area around me to see who
was in space that I could play the pass to, and I also had to look at my rights and left to see
if an opposition player was coming to intercept. This is vital when passing the ball in
football as taking too much time on the ball can lead to losing the ball and conceding a goal
but in my case that did not happen due to my reaction time being so low. Also, a corner had
been taken against us and I ran to the loose ball because my speed allowed me to, and
before I got the ball I looked up and I saw that one of my teammates was running down the
line and he was in space so I played the through ball pass to him and he was then able to
play a low cross pass into the box for the striker to tap it in. My speed, passing and agility
all worked together here as I had to change direction whilst maintaining speed and control
to play that through ball. I received extrinsic positive feedback from my teammates and
coach as I was praised for being alert to run onto the loose ball and find my teammate to
help create the goal.

Additionally, there has been many moments where passing was an asset to me and the team
while I played. For example, I played against Barkingside Youth FC on 20th May 2023, I
was out wide and received the ball from my teammate and saw a gap and decided to
dribble with the ball using agility to my advantage and I looked up and saw the striker
making a run, getting in behind the defenders so I played the through ball pass and he was
available to receive the ball and slot it into the back of the net. I received the assist and
when I receive praise from my teammates when celebrating or after the match, my overall
morale improves and helps me to perform better as I play with a smile on my face which is
important to do. Barkingside were playing very aggressive and were instructed to apply
pressure as we were passing it round the back (keeping possession) trying to play the right
pass forward to start the attack. My teammate [the right winger] passed it back to me as he
was trapped and then suddenly, I was against two attackers (one was in front of me and the
second attacker was on my left) but because agility and passing are strengths of mine, I was
able to turn around and play a quick side foot pass to the keeper and maintain possession of
the ball. This is important because if I had lost possession and given the bay away so
easily, I would have been blamed by teammates and would have everyone be frustrated at
me which is very demotivating and potentially could lead to me being on the bench in the
next game. I received praised from the coach because of this as I was in a tight position and
managed to keep possession.

Weakness one- Fitness component: Cardiovascular Endurance

In my chosen sport of football, I would say that cardiovascular endurance is one of my

biggest weaknesses. Cardiovascular endurance can be defined as the ability of the heart and
lungs to supply oxygen to working muscles. In the sport of football cardiovascular
endurance is crucial for football. For example, sometimes in football, I would need to be
running continuously, changing how fast I am running or having intense battles to win the
ball. Therefore, I would need to be able to have intense battles with my opponent. With
cardiovascular endurance being a weakness, at times I have not been able to run towards
the ball fast enough which has resulted in the opposition team winning the ball and creating
an attack and it was because of me. If I am unable to run towards the ball efficiently then I
may find myself in an uncomfortable position and give away a reckless foul as I was
unable to win the ball. Also, I have had to slow the play down and stop the opposition’s
attack because of my weakness in cardiovascular endurance. This foul could lead to me
being sent off as it was a careless foul which was not needed. In addition, it is important to
note that with my cardiovascular endurance being weak, with the tackle that I made I could
have seriously injured myself as well as the other player. Furthermore, when there is a
counterattack, my teammates must fall back and help defend (sometimes even the
attackers) because I get caught out which is because I cannot cope with how intense and
high pressure the requirements of the game become at times. This led to my teammates
becoming annoyed and frustrated at me, so the coach had to substitute me which showed
him and my teammates I was not reliable for ‘big’ games. This leads to me not being in the
line-up for games that I am looking forward to because my cardiovascular endurance is one
of my weaknesses. Due to this, it puts my team on the back foot because now they must
adjust to another less experienced player and someone who is not used to playing with my
teammates as much as me so there is less coordination between the team. If the game is not
flowing beneficially, then risks are taken which are unnecessary or silly mistakes are taken.
For example, teammates may stop passing to each other as they think they must solo all of
it themselves for the team to score and win which is incorrect. This therefore leads to
teammates becoming frustrated with each other which affects our overall performance with
the team which means the opposition gains the advantage as they are more connected as a
team and have trust in each other’s abilities.

Cardiovascular endurance is important throughout the entirety of the game as it is needed

when attacking and defending as on the pitch you are constantly moving and that could be
jogging or sprinting. At times matches can be demanding, physically and mentally which
involves changes of pace, continuously running and more. As my cardiovascular endurance
is weak, my performance levels drop at the latter end of matches, this is because I
experience fatigue quicker than other players. Fatigue can affect concentration, quick
decision-making, performance and more. As I am experiencing fatigue throughout the
match, I am not able to cope with the match intensity and my work rate declines. If I am
unable to adjust to the intensity of the match, then I lose my battle with the opposition
player. Finally, when defending you need to defend the ball that comes your way and the
opponent due to my cardiovascular endurance being a weakness, I have let the opponent
get past me with the ball and create a goal-scoring opportunity or even worse, score. This
creates a problem with my captain as I am seen as a vulnerable player in the latter stages of
the match. This could lead to the captain suggesting to the coach about substituting me
before it is too late.

Football requires high intensity and alertness as there’s so many transitions within a match,
for example, the play being switched as the ball goes from one side to the other with one
long pass. I need to be able to sprint up and down the pitch when attacking and defending
as football is explosive because there’s quick movements, fast-paced actions and bursts of
energy when playing. I need to be able to make tackles and help intercept passes, especially
when the opposition team are reaching our box as that is a threat to us because they can get
overlaps or strikers getting in behind which would be dangerous for us, so because of this I
must make tackles to stop opportunities like this from taking place. In matches where both
teams are drawing and playing for the win, the game is heavily attacking so in these types
of matches, cardiovascular endurance is vital because of the number of sprints I would be
making up and down.

One example of my cardiovascular endurance being poor and affecting my performance

was when I played against Hashtag United on 18th August 2023. I was sprinting down the
line (in the 86th minute) behind the attacker who was on the counterattack but due to my
cardiovascular endurance being so poor I was unable to tackle the attacker and I tried to
come beside the attacker and tackle him successfully but because my cardiovascular
endurance was awful I fell when trying to run and tackle him. I was unable to stop him and
he went on and scored and we lost the game 3-2 because of this. My cardiovascular
endurance was so poor because in the final stages of the match I struggle to cope with the
excessive demands.

Another example was when I was playing against Billericay on 30th July 2023, my
cardiovascular endurance let me down once again. The opposition midfielder had played a
through ball to the attacker and I was out of position not in my right back position, this was
just after a failed corner from us. I had to drift from my usual position and tackle the
attacked and I was lethargic so therefore I just made the pointless foul because I knew I
couldn’t cope with the demands so I just fouled him as I knew I won’t win the ball. I ended
up being sent off and was not in the line up for a while because of this.

Weakness two: (skill) – Tackling

Within my chosen sport of football, I would say that tackling is my skill weakness.
Tackling can be defined as trying to take the ball from an opponent by intercepting them.
Tackling is important to regain possession of the ball for your team. There are many
different types of tackles such as a standing/block tackle. A block tackle is one where you
must remain on your feet. A block tackle is used when a team does not have the ball and is
having to defend. To achieve a successful block tackle, a player would need to get into the
correct defensive position and be head-to-head with the opponent with the ball. Then, they
would need to try and narrow down the space the opponent has, and jockey the opponent.
Once they believe it is the right time, they should transfer weight from their back foot and
maintain a strong body position to win the ball. When trying to win the ball with a block
tackle, this is what would need to happen. Tackling is important for my position as a right
back because I come up against pacey, skilful wingers/attackers and if they get past me,
they have a very high chance of scoring and I have then done my job wrong, and it is my
fault that the team has conceded. But if I can stop the attacker with the use of a tackle, not
only do I manage to not give away a freekick or a foul, but I also win possession, and can
then help the team with a counterattack which can then lead to a goal and boost the team’s
morale. Tackling helps me stop the team from conceding it boosts my confidence and helps
me demonstrate that I can still help the team with my part. There’s been a few occasions
where it’s been a corner for my team and we lose the ball, but I am able to tackle the
opposition and put in a cross which hopefully finds someone’s head and goes in, and this
result has happened a few times which gives the team an advantage.

Tackling is a weakness of mine because I can make a rash and risky tackle which has
involved me giving a foul in a dangerous goal-scoring position. This has led to freekicks
being scored because of a silly mistake I made. I tend to make more poor tackles after the
second half has started which are unsuccessful and I am sure one of the factors is because
of my poor cardiovascular endurance. I only win around 30% of the tackles I am involved
in once the second half is underway whereas, in the first half I win 45% which is much
better than the second half. However, 45% isn't too great either, this means that I lose more
than half of the tackles I am involved in. This has led to the manager having to substitute
me after the first half has ended because I may be good going forward but I am a liability in
the defence which makes the team vulnerable to counterattacks as my teammates are often
unsure if I will do my role correctly. My teammates are often very frustrated when we
concede because of my poor tackles, especially the goalkeeper who has had to face
multiple penalties because of my mistakes. They show their frustration by throwing their
arms in the air or sometimes lose their temper and start shouting. The coach has also had to
play a right back in my position as I am unreliable, so in big games I frequently find myself
sitting on the bench. It is quite embarrassing when someone who does not play my position
has to play in it because of how poor my tackling is and how I am not an asset to the team.
This has made me quite demotivated, but I want to try my best to improve so I can get
myself back in the first team playing as many matches as possible and I want to help the
team.

Additionally, when the game is in its final third, due to my cardiovascular endurance being
severely poor I am unable to track back from attacks/corners and make a last-ditch tackle. I
miss the player and then they are through on a 1 on 1 with the goalkeeper who must try and
do their best to stop the attacker from scoring. Sometimes the opposition teams like to do
long throw-ins into the penalty box and due to my sluggishness and fatigue I am unaware
of my surroundings and then I am not marking players who are in dangerous goal-scoring
positions which is something I should be doing. I am not able to tighten my area and I go
out of line which ruins the defensive shape, this makes it easier for opposition midfielders
to play through ball passes (to attackers) through the gaps created because of my mistake.
There have been occasions where I have been way too wide and I am then unable to come
closer, shortening the width because of my poor cardiovascular endurance. I have
previously had to sprint back after a corner as it went poorly, and I was too exhausted to
sprint to my best ability I had to tackle the attacker from behind which of course resulted in
me being shown the red card and sent off and giving away a freekick just outside the 18-
yard box. It was in the later stages of the 80th minute and I had just done such a silly thing
and I felt disgusted and ashamed of myself for doing that. I made the team vulnerable and
made the players work even harder than they would have if I was on the pitch. That was a
poor decision, and my tiredness has been affecting my gameplay incredibly, especially in
the final third my decisions are brainless. At that moment it really took an effect on my
mental health, and I just became so unhappy and felt I shouldn’t be playing anymore
because of how atrocious my tackling was.

Other important fitness components help with tackling successfully such as, reaction time
is incredibly important when tackling especially in tackles such as slide tackles requiring
timing which is important with reaction time. Reaction time is the time taken to initiate a
response to a stimulus. In the first half, my reaction time is much better than my reaction
time in the second half and this is because of my alertness and because of my
cardiovascular endurance being higher at the start. Additionally, my alertness is much
higher at the start, and I can react faster and jump on any loose balls or when an opposition
player takes a poor touch which I am able to then win the ball by successfully making a
stand tackle and help the team by passing the ball into a goal-scoring position. Having a
good reaction time helps me make effective slide tackles as those are very important for
stopping the opposition from scoring, this is very effective when I am against an attacker,
and it is 1 on 1. This helps me maintain the scoreline for the team and keep goals conceded
as low as possible, my morale has also improved, and I feel a lot more confident in my
tackling abilities. After the first half, the time it takes for me to respond to the stimulus
increases dramatically and my tackles are much rasher and nastier. Coordination is crucial
in football, especially while tackling. Coordination is the ability to use different (two or
more) parts of the body together smoothly and efficiently. There are three types of
coordination: fine motor skills, gross motor skills and hand-eye skills. Fine motor skills
require coordinated movement of small muscles, gross motor skills require coordinated
movement of large muscles or groups of muscles and hand-eye coordination is the ability
of the visual system to coordinate visual information. This is received and then controlled
or directed in the accomplishment of a task. Having good coordination is an asset when
tackling in football as I can make fast, effective decisions and maintain balance when head-
on against opposition players. My coordination is strong when making tackles, I can
change my body direction with speed and chase the ball, come ahead of the attacker and
make a visually appealing slide tackle to put the ball out for a throw-in. This has stopped
counterattacks previously as sometimes my teammates are not in the right position to make
the tackle. In the first half my coordination allows me to make slide tackles but as the game
progresses (into the second half), the number of sprints I am doing increases, and I get
fatigued which slows down my decisions and increases the time it takes for me to think,
resulting in incorrect decisions and sloppy fouls being given away. I have been substituted
due to this as the coach knows how careless and reckless, I can be when we are in the final
third of the match.

As the game proceeded, I became over-aroused (due to my mistakes which led to goals),
and now we were 3-0 down, within the first half I started to panic. I become very frustrated
with my performance and the poor scoreline which leads me to play worse and I start to
give away fouls in dangerous areas (close to the 18-yard box) where the opposition has a
clear chance at scoring. It has happened before, I was sprinting behind a player (he had
already scored while I was sprinting behind him) as we were being counterattacked with
intense pressure, I could feel my muscles getting tired so I made a lazy tackle which was
out of pure frustration as I knew that I won’t get the ball as my cardiovascular endurance
was letting me down, and the tackle resulted in me being sent off as I was already on a
yellow card. This resulted in a direct free kick to the opposition. I do look back at these
moments and wish I did something different or not get the first yellow card as that was
over something futile. I was annoyed because we were getting absolutely smashed but I
should’ve shown the result of my annoyance by improving my playstyle and help create
chances, rather than giving away fouls and being sent off. They scored and won the game
4-0 due to my carelessness and recklessness. I felt angry and annoyed at myself as I didn’t
like the fact the team suffered because of me, and the pressure got to me in important
games. I have had to apologise to my teammates about this countless times as they’ve been
frustrated with me because of this, this does put pressure on me in games too. I must
perform well enough that my teammates don’t think I am a liability and the effect of this is
that I become over-aroused, and I misplace my passes or drift out of position.
In a recent performance, (it was in the 60th minute of the match) a freekick was taken
around the edge of the box (19-20 yards away from the goal) and the opposition keeper
managed to save it, but they restarted fast. It was unexpected and caught a lot of players off
guard. I understood what they were trying to do due to my reaction time being good and I
was still in the opposition’s box at this moment, but I had to sprint back to stop the
counterattack and that’s exactly what I tried doing. I sprinted back alongside the other
defenders, but I was struggling to keep up with the pace due to my poor cardiovascular
endurance which made me more fatigued. The attacker has now entered our half and he is
against the keeper on 1 on 1 and I am right behind him, but I must tackle him from behind
because I became tired after running for so long in the match. I tackled him from behind, it
was poor and sloppy, but I received a red card, and the opposition received a penalty
because of this, and it disappointed me because I should’ve had faith in my goalkeeper that
he would be able to come out and make himself big and save the shot. I had let the team
down and had to apologise to all of them after the match, which was embarrassing, more
importantly I let myself down because of how poor my cardiovascular endurance was I
made poor tackles, resulting in the team playing with 10 men at a disadvantage.

Evaluation

Chosen training type:

To improve my first weakness of cardiovascular endurance, I will use continuous training.
Continuous training is maintaining the same intensity of work effort and speed for a
minimum of 30 minutes and as it's aerobic training and also in my aerobic training zone, I
will be training 60-80% of my maximum heart rate. Maximum heart rate can be calculated
by doing 220 - age and as I am 15 years old my maximum heart rate would be 205 BPM. I
need to improve my cardiovascular endurance as it lets me down after the 80th minute and
a football game lasts 90 minutes without added time. As a fullback, I need to be running up
and down the field to help my teammates with attacking as a player may be needed and I
also need to be running down the pitch to defend against the winger on my side of the pitch
and since my cardiovascular endurance is one of my weaknesses I am unable to cope with
the demands of the environment and sometimes I am beaten by other opposition players
which is quite embarrassing and lowers morale. By doing continuous training, my body’s
ability to supply oxygenated red blood cells via the blood to the working muscles will
increase as my body gets more used to it and my heart should be able to ease over time,
due to hypertrophy. Hypertrophy is defined as the enlargement of an organ or tissue from
the increase in size of its cells. By continuously doing continuous training for a long
period, I will become a much-improved player because my heart will be supplying
oxygenated blood to the working muscles during exercise which will be much quicker than
before. Another benefit of continuous training is that muscular endurance will also
improve. Muscular endurance is the ability of a muscle or muscle group to undergo
repeated contractions, avoiding fatigue. This causes the muscles to have an increase in
strength and become more haled. The instant effects of continuous training are sweating,
an increase in breathing rate, skin reddening and an increase in heart rate. When we
exercise, we sweat because the body is trying to cool itself down because of the increase in
body temperature. Our breathing rate increases so that oxygen is consumed faster as it is
needed for the body, skin becomes red because capillaries are experiencing vasodilation.
Vasodilation is the expansion of blood vessels, supplying blood to areas of the body
involved in exercise which are the working muscles. This leads to greater blood flow of
oxygen to working muscles. Heart rate increases to avoid hyperthermia. Hyperthermia is
when the human body temperature increases beyond 37.5 to 38.3 degrees Celsius, and
hyperthermia can ultimately lead to death. Continuous training has many advantages, for
example it requires little to no equipment and it’s easy to perform. I can plan out a route
which I like during which I can be jogging, or I could also use a treadmill and run/jog at a
steady pace which is also another good option. After a few weeks, I can increase the
amount, I am running for as my cardiovascular endurance would have improved which
allows me to run for longer periods. In addition to this, I can track all my progress with
fitness apps or smartwatches which allow me to track the speed I’m running at and what
my heart rate is at while running. However, continuously running by myself could get quite
boring and could also feel like a chore so I could change up the route I am taking, or I
could also listen to music or a podcast which helps me with my motivation and makes me
feel more positive about myself. Furthermore, I could also bring friends with me and get
them to be involved so it will feel less boring and more fun.

As continuous training is my chosen training method to help improve my cardiovascular

endurance, the intensity that I will be working at will be determined by my heart rate. As
continuous training is aerobic, I will be working at 60-80% of my maximum heart rate, this
is so that my body gets used to working at this so that during the end of a match I can last
longer and improve my overall performance. Technology such as Fitbits and mobile
phones help find and track heart rate. Resting heart rate can be found by placing two
fingers on the inside of your wrist which is called the radial pulse and then counting the
beats for 30 seconds. Another method of calculating your resting heart rate is by putting
your two fingers on the side of your throat but slightly below the jaw. With the number of
beats continued, you multiply the number by two to work out your resting heart rate. With
this information, you can monitor your heart rate and allow you to judge the increase when
exercising. I worked out my heart rate when not exercising to be 76 (38x2). Working heart
rate is the rate of the heart while exercising. Continuous taking requires working
aerobically.

Example session:

Heart Rate

I must work from 123 bpm to 164 bpm (60%-80% of my MHR). My maximum heart rate
is 205. This is worked out from 220 - age and I am 15 years old.
Warm-up

There are a few stages to warming up and the first stage is called a pulse raiser. A pulse
raiser is exercises that slowly increase heart rate and body temperature and normally tends
to last for around five minutes. There are a few exercises that I can choose from such as
jogging/jogging on the spot, cycling, running, high knees or star jumps. These exercises
would tend to be around 40%-50% of my maximum heart rate of 220-16=204. The benefit
of this stage is to increase body temperature, increase heart rate so there’s an increase in
oxygen to the working muscles and more blood is pumped. We warm up because it is
necessary to increase the temperature inside the body and get the blood flowing faster.

A thorough warm-up should be completed pre-session as we want to avoid injuries.

Warming up means doing your activity at a slower pace and a lower intensity. There are
many reasons why we should warm up, one of them being mental preparation. Mental
preparation helps you focus on the environment you need to be in and perform. Other
benefits of warming up are injury prevention, increasing body temperature, increasing heart
rate, increased range of movement, skill prep and many more. If an adequate warm-up
hasn’t been completed before going into a sport, then you may experience muscle fatigue
or even muscle soreness (delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS) because of the stress on
unprepared muscles.

Pulse raiser

There are a few stages to warming up and the first stage is called a pulse raiser. A pulse
raiser is exercises that slowly increase heart rate and body temperature and normally tends
to last for around five minutes. There are a few exercises that I can choose from such as
jogging/jogging on the spot, cycling, running, high knees or star jumps. These exercises
would tend to be around 50% of my maximum heart rate of 220-16=204. The benefit of
this stage is to increase body temperature, increase heart rate so there’s an increase in
oxygen to the working muscles and more blood is pumped. We warm up because it is
necessary to increase the temperature inside the body and get the blood flowing faster.
After the pulse raiser, I should be feeling a slight increase in my heartbeats because more
blood is being delivered to the working muscles. After the pulse raiser, I should be feeling
a slight increase in my heartbeats because more blood is being delivered to the working
muscles and if that’s not happening then I should use the technique with the two fingers
which I described earlier. If I do not include a pulse raiser in my warm-up then I am
leaving myself very vulnerable to injuries and in the game, my performance would be
limited and poor. My heart rate and breathing rate may never reach the point that I need it
at which also limits my stamina throughout the match. My muscles could also remain stiff,
which limits my range of motion and flexibility. This could affect me in the game as it
would reduce my manoeuvrability and agility which means that I won’t be able to change
directions with speed and control or make sharp cuts or pivots. That ultimately leads to my
more agile opponents, and me being dominated by them. After the match, my inflexible
muscles may take longer to recover because I didn’t do a good warm-up which would
increase flexibility. Ultimately, this can result in longer stiffness and soreness which also
affects me to be selected in future matches which means I have lost my spot in the team.
That would lower morale.

Stretches
The second stage of a warm-up would be stretching. Stretching consists of several different
exercises, which are carried out to stretch the muscles and major joints of the body. There
are also two types of stretching. We have dynamic stretching and static stretching.
Dynamic stretching is carried out whilst moving. An example of dynamic stretching is
walking lunges. This helps stretch the gluteus maximus, hamstrings and hip flexor muscles
and is beneficial for all athletes. Static stretching is used to stretch muscles while the body
is at rest. Each stretch should be held for around 10 seconds. An example of static
stretching is standing and holding the foot to stretch the hamstring and quadriceps. This is
important so that flexibility improves, having flexible muscles and joints allows for a
greater range of motion in your legs which is very important when playing football. For my
sport which is football the muscles which

The main session needs

My main session will consist of continuous training. Continuous training is defined as

sustained exercise at a constant rate (steady state) without rests, involving aerobic demand
for a minimum of 20 minutes. Continuous training can be done by swimming, running,
rowing, and cycling - there are many other ways to do continuous training. Continuous
training requires little to no equipment which means it is easier to be completed for athletes
and trainees. Continuous training will also improve my cardiovascular endurance heavily
and will improve my aerobic respiration because it keeps the body at the right amount of
oxygen necessary for exercise, which would be important for me to last 80 minutes of a
football match. Continuous training is beneficial for the heart and respiratory system and
most activities are easy to perform which have already been mentioned. Continuous
training will improve the heart’s functionality and help it to function more efficiently.
Continuous training can also help with losing weight and staying in shape when sport is not
running or after injury. Some may find continuous training tedious as it is repetitive and
there are no friends to interact with.

To warm up for continuous training I will focus on my large muscle groups such as my
quadriceps and hamstrings as these would be the main muscles that I would use when also
playing football. The benefits of a warmup are that heart rate increases, body temperature
increases, range of movement increases, breathing rate increases, prevention of injury and
mental preparation. All these beneficial factors would improve my overall performance.

I will start by doing the exercises at a low, slow pace which I will use to slowly boost the
intensity and speed of the activity I will be doing. Some exercises which I would be doing
are ‘lunges with a twist,’ swimming or a run. Firstly, for a run or a swim, I would need to
start slowly so when I am doing this I will be running/swimming at a slow pace for around
5 minutes then I will gradually increase the intensity of the run or swim. I will pick up the
speed when I believe my cardiovascular endurance is able to cope with the demands of the
environment.

Cool down

Theory for weakness Two:

Arousal

Describe the inverted u theory

Gross and fine skill motor skills in football

State and define all stress management techniques

Explain how they can be used in football

How it will help to improve skill weakness

Arousal can be defined as A physical and mental (physiological and psychological) state of
alertness/readiness varying from deep sleep to intense excitement/alertness. Arousal can be
seen as how excited a performer is and physically an increase in arousal can cause a rise in
heart rate or cause a performer to sweat more.’ Optimal arousal can be defined as an
individual's performance on a task will improve as their arousal level increases, but only up
to a certain point, otherwise a performer could become over-aroused. Low arousal is when
performance quality is low, and this could be when someone is elite in a sport but is
playing a much lower-ranked opponent. High arousal may not always be an asset to some,
for example, football players when taking penalties but high arousal may be key for
defenders who need to make a big and vital challenge.
 The ‘inverted U’ theory can be defined as performance being improved as arousal levels
increase but there is a threshold point. If there is any increase in arousal levels,
performance would worsen as I would become over-aroused and play recklessly. Arousal is
directly proportional to performance, but optimal arousal is the limit of proportionality.
Once arousal starts increasing past optimal arousal, performance starts to decline and
quality deteriorates, this could be when someone is panicking.

A gross skill involves large muscle movements, and these movements are performed by
large muscle groups of the body and are not very accurate or precise. There are many
examples of gross skills in football such as, jumping for corners, freekicks or when the
goalkeeper has taken a goal kick and it needs to be intercepted but the ball may still be in
the air so a defender could jump above the player who it was aimed towards and intercept
the ball, helping start an attack. Tackling in football is a gross skill because large muscle
movements are required to perform a slide tackle and win the ball from the opposition
player either stopping an attack or starting the attack. A fine skill involves precise
movements and uses small muscle groups. These movements are performed with accuracy,
and this would be done when taking a corner or laying off the ball when multiple players
are at a free kick. Two players may be at a corner and the corner taker may pass the ball to
the teammate beside them and the teammate could then make a pass to another teammate
who is on the edge of the box and could potentially score.

There are stress management techniques