Skill Acquisition and Sport Psychology

Learning to move well

Being good at sport is not only about the body; it is also about learning skills and preparing the mind. A skill is a learned action carried out smoothly to reach a goal, and every skill has to be acquired through practice. How a skill is best learned depends on what kind of skill it is and how far along the learner is. Alongside this sits sport psychology, which is about motivation, the right level of readiness, and setting good goals. This module covers the types of skill, the stages of learning, how to guide and give feedback, and the mental side of performance.

Skill and psychology words

Learn these terms before the ideas are described. They name the types of skill and the mental side of sport.

Match each skill term to its meaning

Open skill against closed skill

Sorting a skill into open or closed shapes how it is best practised, and it is a common exam question.

Which type of skill is it?

A free throw is taken in the same way each time, with no opponent affecting it. What type of skill is this?

• A closed skill
• An open skill
• It cannot be classified
• A type of feedback

Motivation and the right arousal

The mind matters as much as the body. Motivation is the drive to take part and keep going: it can come from within, such as enjoyment and pride, or from outside, such as praise or a reward. Arousal is how ready and activated a performer feels. Too little and they are flat and unready; too much and they become tense and make mistakes. The best performance usually comes at a moderate, controlled level of arousal. Setting clear, realistic goals helps keep motivation high and arousal in check. When you answer, name the idea, then say how it helps or harms the performance.

Pick the true skill facts

Select every true statement about learning and performing skills.

• A skill is learned through practice
• An open skill is affected by a changing environment
• Feedback helps a performer improve
• Skills need no practice at all
• The mental side has no effect on performance

Order the stages of learning

Put the steps of learning a new skill in the order they happen.

• Watch a demonstration and understand the basic idea
• Try it and make many errors at first
• Practise and refine it with feedback
• Make fewer errors as it becomes smoother
• Perform it automatically and consistently

Complete the skill facts

A skill affected by a changing environment is an _____ skill. A skill done the same way each time is a _____ skill. The drive to take part and keep trying is _____. Information used to improve a performance is _____.

One learner, three stages

Picture someone learning a new skill, such as a tennis serve. At first they are in the cognitive stage: they watch a demonstration, think hard about each part, and make plenty of errors as they work out what to do. With practice they move into the associative stage, where the movement grows smoother, the errors become fewer, and feedback from a coach helps them refine it. In time they reach the autonomous stage, where the serve is almost automatic and consistent, leaving their mind free to think about tactics. Notice that practice and feedback carry the learner through each stage. Anyone can travel this path with time and effort, which is the encouraging heart of skill acquisition.

Tap the ways to guide a learner

Tap the TWO good ways a coach can guide a learner.

• Showing a clear demonstration
• Giving clear verbal instructions
• Saying nothing and hoping they work it out
• Giving many contradictory instructions at once

The skill and psychology run

Answer each one correctly to keep your lives. Choose the best answer.

Coach each performer

Read each situation and choose the best coaching answer.

• A beginner is learning a brand new skill and keeps making errors. Which stage of learning are they in?
• A performer is so tense before a match that they keep making mistakes. What is likely too high?
• A coach wants to keep an athlete motivated over a long season. What helps?

Build a point about motivation

Choose the word for each gap to complete one clear point about the psychology of performance.

Explain skill and sport psychology

A friend thinks being good at sport is only about being fit and strong. Using what you have learned, explain how learning skills and the mind also shape performance.

• Explain the difference between an open and a closed skill
• Explain the stages of learning a skill
• Explain how guidance and feedback help a learner
• Explain how motivation and arousal affect performance