Unit 1 Sports Training & Coaching

Meaning:

Sports training is a pedagogical process, based on scientific principles, aiming at preparing sportsmen for higher performance in sports competitions.

Definiton of Sports Training:

“Sports training is the basic form of preparation of sportsmen”.

(Matwejew 1981)

“Sports training is a planned and controlled process in which, for achieving a goal, changes in complex sports motor performance, ability to act and behaviour are made through measures of content, methods and organization”.

(Martin 1979)

Aim of Sports Training:

Sports training aims at improving the performance of sports persons. The sports performance depends on several factors. The performance of a sports person primarily depends on his performance capacity which is a complex of five groups of factors.

These five factors are as follows:

1. Physique

2. Physical Fitness or Condition

3. Technical Skill

4. Tactical Efficiency

5. Education

1. Physique:

The physique is almost completely genetically determined and hence cannot be improved by training. But the other four groups of factors are trainable to a greater or lesser extent.

2. Physical Fitness or Condition:

The physical fitness or condition is the sum total of five motor abilities namely strength, speed, endurance, flexibility and coordinative abilities. These five motor abilities and their complex forms are the basic prerequisites for human motor actions. Therefore, the sports performance in all sports depends to a great extent on these abilities. The improvement and maintenance of physical fitness or condition is perhaps the most important aim of sports training.

3. Technical Skill:

Sports performance are possible only through sports motor actions or movements. The performance of a sportsman is significantly affected by the skill with which these actions or movements are executed by a sportsman. The acquisition of sports technical skills, therefore, is an important aim of sports training.

4. Tactical Efficiency:

The tactical efficiency consists of three elements: knowledge of competition rules and possibilities of exploiting various internal and external factors for achieving best possible results; tactical abilities and tactical skills. Tactical efficiency is of paramount importance in team games, combat sports and racket sports. The role of tactics in individual sports is limited.

5. Education:

Sports performance is the product of the total personality of the sports person. It is highly erroneous to think that sports performance is determined exclusively by the physique and physical qualities. Sports performance is a psycho-motor performance and for its improvement through training as well as for achieving it in a competition the sportsman depends heavily on his qualities of head and heart.

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