Skill Acquisition and Sports Psychology
What you must know
This domain explains how skills are learned and how the mind affects performance.
Classify skills: open (unpredictable environment, e.g. a football pass) versus closed (stable environment, e.g. a free throw); gross (large muscle groups) versus fine (small, precise movements); basic versus complex. Know the three stages of learning: cognitive (thinking, many errors), associative (practising, fewer errors) and autonomous (automatic, consistent).
Understand types of practice: massed (continuous, little rest), distributed (rest between trials), whole versus part, and fixed versus variable. Know feedback: intrinsic (from the performer's senses) and extrinsic (from a coach or video), plus knowledge of results and knowledge of performance.
In psychology, learn motivation (intrinsic and extrinsic), arousal and the inverted-U theory (performance peaks at moderate arousal), anxiety (cognitive and somatic), confidence and self-talk, concentration, and goal setting using SMART targets. Understand team cohesion and the difference between a leader (appointed) and a captain (elected).
Traps to watch
A common trap is labelling a skill incorrectly: a tennis serve is closed (performer controls the situation), while a goalkeeper's save is open. Another trap is confusing intrinsic motivation (playing for enjoyment) with extrinsic (playing for a trophy).
Worked example
A novice basketball player in the cognitive stage should use part practice (shooting form separately) with plenty of extrinsic feedback from the coach. As they improve into the associative stage, move to whole practice in game-like drills with variable practice so the skill transfers to open play.