Activity 1.3 Principles-to-Application Activity: Movement Skill

In this activity you will select a movement skill and describe its goal, energy, and time characteristics, perception requirements, and the decisions required for executing the skill. Complete the activity as follows:

1. Select and name a specific motor skill you can perform or are learning how to perform. Some good examples include an underhand serve in volleyball and playing a specific chord on a guitar. Do not select an example that is too general, such as learning to play tennis.
2. Describe the steps in performing the skill, indicate whether it is an open or closed skill, and explain why. Indicate whether the skill is discrete, serial, or continuous and explain why. Also indicate if object manipulation and body transport are components of the skill you have chosen.
3. Describe the goal of the skill, and describe the performance standards—observable behaviors—used for evaluating whether the goal was achieved with maximum certainty.
4. Explain why the minimization of energy (physical or mental) is or is not important for this skill.
5. Explain why the minimization of time used is or is not important for this skill.
6. Describe the relevant environmental features that must be perceived in order to execute the skill.
7. Describe the decisions required for determining what, where, and when to execute the skill.