Common Factors in Learning a New Sport
By Georgia Hendy and assessed by Katrina Gierke
40 Wirra Wirra St. Tooowoomba, QLD, 4350
Introduction
What is fitness? According to the authors of Senior Physical
Education for Queensland, ‘the general definition of fitness
encompasses the ability to carry out everyday tasks without
undue fatigue and to cope with unforeseen situations.’ An
individuals fitness can be established by testing the different
components of fitness. However, to make things more
complicated, there are two types of fitness components –
health-related and skill-related. Health-related fitness
components focus on the aspects that enable us to maintain
our health for everyday tasks, whereas skill-related fitness
components included those that impact our performance of an
activity.
and planned out for the next 6 weeks (18 x 1hr sessions). My
goal was to transition from a standing throw to a full turn throw by
the end of the program. As throwing isn’t the only vital aspect for
training for discus, drills and conditioning session had to be made
up. These sessions were built around different training principles
such as specificity and progressive overload and training
methods such as anaerobic training, weight training and
plyometric. Varity in the sessions was an important concept when
structuring the 6 weeks as enjoyment is crucial. Below in figure 2
is an example one a training session.
The purpose of a training program is to improve an athletes
weaker components that are related to a specific sport to later
enhance their overall performance. These components include
power, speed, agility, balance, coordination, reaction time,
flexibility, strength and muscular endurance. Imagine a sprinter
who lacked power and speed, once these fitness components
were treated to with proper training, the athlete would improve
on the track dramatically.
Aim
Throughout this term of
Senior Physical Education,
students were given the
task to analyse a specific
swimming or athletic event
and then complete a welldeveloped program that
would help improve their technique over a five-six week period.
Myself as the athlete chose Discus, a field event in athletics.
Method
Building any training program requires a detailed understanding
of the athletes current physically status, their overall goal, how
much time there is to train and knowing the sport they are
training specifically for.
As discus being my focus for the term, power, balance,
coordination, flexibility and speed were the fitness components I
had to train hard to improve. Below in figure 1 are my results
from my fitness testing in the first training session.
Strength
Grip Test
L – 29, 30
R – 32, 31
Power
Back and Standing Vertical
Leg Test Long
Jump
Jump
103kg,
1.55m,
39cm,
110kg
1.60m
38cm
Balance Coordination Flexibility
One leg Ball Toss
on toes
Straight
Led Stretch
5.21sec, 30, 27
5.72sec
41.50cm,
40cm
Figure 1: Session 1 Fitness Test
After investigation into the results, I learn I had to train longer and
harder on drills that would improve my balance, strength and
power. Using the available professional coaches and research
from school resources, suitable training methods were created
Figure 2: Session 7
Half way through the training program, video analysis was taken
because, as important as it is to receive feedback externally, it’s
just as important to receive internal feedback. Pointer were given
by coaches too as technique was becoming more focused at this
stage of the program rather than conditioning.
Results and Conclusion
In the last training session, video footage of my throw was taken
to compare against initial video of my throw. I had managed to
create a program that not only strengthened my throwing ability
but also taught a whole new manoeuvre. A fitness test was
completed and most exercises had improved by around 10%.
This is back up with evidence in my throw, as I throw an extra 3
meters
References
Gain Fitness, 2011, Gain Fitness – Digital Personal Training, viewed 21/5/15,
http://workout.gainfitness.com/science
Gierke, K, (2015), Class notes, Fairholme College Toowoomba Queensland, Senior Physical
Education
Hede, et als, (2011), PE Senior Physical Education for Queensland Oxford: Melbourne
McKair and Knudson 2000, Static Stretching Exercises, Brian Mac Sports Coach, viewed
28/5/15 http://www.brianmac.co.uk/stretch.htm
Pitt, G, (2015), Conversation, Fairholme College Toowoomba Queensland
2014, The Physics of Discus – Blog, The Physics of Discus, viewed 18/5/15
http://enriqueperez.weebly.com/