LOUDOUN ACADEMY PHYSICAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

NATIONAL 5 PORTFOLIO PREPARATION

Section 1: Understanding factors that impact on performance

In this section you will learn about various Physical (Skills) and Emotional Factors that may impact on your performance.

PHYSICAL (SKILLS)

Skill Repetoire

Definition

Skill repertoire is the variety and range of shots that can be performed within an activity. This consists of basic and complex skills.

Impact on Performance

A performer with a high skill repertoire will be able to perform a variety of shots relative to the situation they find themselves in. Equally, a performer with a limited skill repertoire will have fewer shots to choose from. For example, if a performer can only perform a high serve and overhead clear in badminton then their skill repertoire is limited which means there shot selection is also limited. If another performer can perform a low and high serve, overhead clear, drop shot, smash and net play then the performer has lots of different options and can play the appropriate shot during a rally. High skill repertoire increase the percentage chance of you being able to defeat an opponent as you will be harder to predict and you can play the most effective shot each time.

Accuracy

Definition

Accuracy is the ability to direct a ball, shuttle or any other object used in an activity to a target area with precision.

Impact on Performance

Accuracy is a particularly important feature in most net and wall games. For example, accuracy is required in badminton by returning the shuttle to the back corner of the court or to a space on the court away from where your opponent is standing. This will make it more difficult for your opponent to return the shuttle and increasing your chances of winning the rally.

Consistency

Definition

Consistency is the ability to perform skills / movements correctly over and over again.

Impact on Performance

Accuracy and Consistency are both key for an effective performance. For example, a setter in volleyball always being able to set the ball at an appropriate height and place for their team mate to perform a more powerful spike and therefore put the other team under more pressure. In badminton it is important to consistently serve with accuracy. If your serve is inconsistent you have more chance of faulting or your opponent may find it easier to return the shuttle with an attacking shot. This will make it more difficult to return the shuttle and win the rally.

Adjustment

Definition

Adjustment is the ability to alter, change or move your body/body parts slightly in order to be in the desired position to perform a skill/action more effectively.

Impact on Performance

Adjustment is an important feature of performance when a performer is required to react quickly to a given situation. In badminton, you might adjust/alter your footwork to allow you to play a forehand shot as opposed to using a ‘weaker’ backhand shot. This could benefit your performance as it could allow you to play a more attacking forehand shot and put your opponent under pressure.

Flair

Definition

Flair is the ability to instinctively perform uniquely or with style.

Impact on Performance

Having good flair can allow you to deceive an opponent as the skill you execute will be unexpected. No flair may result in your performance becoming predictable making it easy for an opponent to be able to read what you are about to do before you execute the skill. For example, a lack of flair and disguise in your play may lead to an opponent anticipating your return shot in badminton which will give them more time to plan a winning shot.

EMOTIONAL FACTOR

Happiness/Sadness

Definition

Happiness / Sadness are emotional states of the mind. Emotions range from feeling content and joy (happy) to a feeling of despair, grief or sorrow (sad).

Impact on Performance

Happiness will affect performance positively and sadness will affect performance negatively. These emotions can have an impact on your confidence and resilience. For example, being in a happy state of mind before playing badminton will increase your confidence in executing skills and your self-belief in performing them successfully. If you were sad before playing a game of badminton, your confidence and belief in your ability to perform skills successfully may be low and result in a poorer level of skill execution or the avoidance of playing certain shots. This will result in your play becoming more predictable and easier to read. You may also be less resilient and therefore find it harder to make a comeback after making a mistake or when behind in a game.

Anger

Definition

A strong, uncomfortable emotion where the individual has normally been offended, denied or mistreated and tends to react through retaliation.

Impact on Performance

Anger in sport can be very useful in the right situation but more often than not it is about how you control your aggression that makes the difference. Anger can have a huge impact on your self-control and decision making. Anger can be seen in many different forms in sport. It can be something as simple as a player shouting at themselves after a bad shot, physically lashing out or even over exerting themselves in a skill such as increasing the power of their overhead clear. Anger without control will mostly affect performance negatively and will increase the amount of poor decisions made. A player who controls their anger is much more effective. The ability to control anger comes from practicing in competitive drills which apply pressure to your skill level, such as practicing against a much better opponent. Controlling your anger will allow you to think clearly and make good decisions on court.

Fear

Description

Fear is an emotion induced by a perceived threat, which causes you to quickly pull away or, in sporting terms, hide.

Impact on Performance

Fear produces negative thoughts, which can have a direct impact on confidence. Winning and losing is so important in most competitive settings that fear of failure or fear of not performing well is at the forefront of many performers minds. Performers that are full of positive energy and excitement, relishing every challenge, are always the ones that outperform their negative and fearful counterparts. If you fear an opponent then it is likely that your own performance level will drop significantly which will make it easier for your opponent to compete. Having a fear of failure and subsequently low confidence may prevent a performer from pushing themselves outside their comfort zone. All top players take sporting risks even at the potential cost of jeopardising their performance. In badminton, fear of failure will impact on your ability to take match-winning risks. The thought of making mistakes in front of class-mates and your teacher may result in you staying inside your comfort zone and playing safe shots. This will cause your performance to be reactive instead of proactive. Instead of taking positive risks, which will empower you to influence the match, you will allow your opponent to take control and dictate play.

1(a) Explain in detail the impact these two factors have on your performance in each of the physical activities you have chosen (8 marks).

Use the information provided to prepare an answer on how both Physical (Skills) and Mental Factors impact on your performance in Badminton (4 marks).

Also complete the homework task below for your second activity only. Your teacher will mark this and return this to you so that you can use your answer when you complete the above question in class.

Homework Task (in preparation for 1a)

Choose one of the following activities: Football, Hockey, Basketball or Netball

Copy the question and answer on the paper provided.

  1. Explain how a lack of Physical Skill (Skill Repertoire / Accuracy / Consistency / Imagination / Flair) had a negative impact on your performance in the activity above. (2 marks)
  1. Explain how Emotional Factors (Happiness / Sadness / Fear / Anger) had a negative impact on your performance in this same activity. (2 marks)

Section 2: Planning, developing and implementing approaches to enhance personal performance

In this section you will learn about how and why the Observation Schedules are used to gather information on Physical Skills. You will also learn how to develop your own personal performance in Badminton by planning and completing a suitable programme of work.

2a. Describe howyou used Observation Schedules to gather information on Physical Skills (4 marks)

General Observation Schedules

  • Groups of 4, 2 playing, 1 refereeing, 1 videoing
  • 10 minute game against an opponent of similar ability
  • Game is videoed and watched back so that the general observation schedule can be completed accurately.
  • The General Observation Schedule is a table which contains all skills (name them) along with space to mark the effectiveness of each shot played during the game.
  • Tallies are marked in 3 categories – very effective, fairly effective and ineffective and totals are calculated.
  • Percentages are then worked out to provide statistics on the effectiveness of each shot with strengths and weaknesses being identified from the data.

Focused Observation Schedules – PAR Analysis Sheet

  • Groups of 3, 1 feeder, 1 performer and 1 completing schedule
  • A PAR Analysis sheet compares performance to criteria copied from a ‘model performance’.
  • The schedule is broken down into 3 phases – preparation, action and recovery.
  • Each phase then contains subroutines which provide a description of the correct technique.
  • The person completing the schedule watches the performer perform the identified skill and places a tick against the subroutines that are performed well and a cross next to areas of weakness.

Focused Observation Schedule - Scattergram

  • Groups of 3, 1 feeder, 1 performer and 1 completing schedule
  • The observation schedule has a diagram of a badminton court on it.
  • The performer performs 10 attempts of the identified skill and the recorder plots on the sheet where the shuttle lands each time to show the accuracy and consistency of the identified skill.

2b Explain why you chose this method to gather information on Physical Skills (4 marks)

General Observation Schedule

  • Completed in most demanding context of full game situation against an opponent of similar ability therefore the information gathered will be more reliable
  • Provides an initial overview of performance on all skills
  • Shows strongest to weakest skills and therefore allows you to see what skills is affecting your performance the most
  • Information can be used to plan a suitable training programme aimed at improving skill repertoire, accuracy and consistency
  • Can be used in conjunction with video to make the gathering of data even more reliable
  • It is a permanent record which allows you compare with others or look back and compare your results to check for improvements.

Focused Observation Schedule – PAR Analysis Sheet

  • More focussed – allows you to look more closely at one skill
  • Allows comparison to a model performer to check for strengths and weaknesses
  • Breaks the skill down further into to specific phases – preparation, action and recovery
  • Results are easy and quick to interpret
  • Identifies cause of inaccuracy.

Focussed Observation Schedule – Scattergram

  • More focussed – allows you to look at the accuracy of one stroke
  • Results are easy and quick to interpret
  • Progress can be measured through setting targets and comparing scores (e.g. score out of 10 in target area)

2c. Summarise the information you have gathered to show what it tells you about your performance in this activity (3 marks)

Summarise all of the information you gathered by describing and explaining the following data

  • General Observation Schedule – Give effectiveness of strongest and weakest skill and try to explain what may have caused these results
  • PAR Analysis Sheet – Provide a minimum of 2 examples of subroutines you performed well and 2 examples of subroutines you did not perform well and try to explain the effect this has on the outcome of your shot
  • Scattergram – Give the results by stating how many of you 10 attempts landed in the target area and try to explain your results

2d. Explain why you chose this particular programme of work to develop your performance(5 marks)

In your explanation, you must refer to your programme of work and the information you summarised in 2(c).

You will therefore need to give examples of the Shadow Practice, Repetition Drills and Conditioned Games that you included in your programme of work giving some advantages of these approaches. You will also need to make reference to the information you summarised in 2 (c) for e.g. how you made your programme of work specific to your weak skill / subroutines.

Shadow Practice

This is an approach that involves performing a skill repeatedly with no shuttle, focusing on specific subroutines.

Examples

  • No movement - perform skill on spot
  • With movement - return to base position after each shot

Advantages

  • Helps me understand the basics of the skill and how it feels
  • Allows me to work in a closed, self-paced environment where I can slow the skill down and focus fully on the specific subroutines of the skill
  • Allows me to practice under less pressure as no shuttle is used
  • Develops ‘muscle memory’

Disadvantages

  • As there is no shuttle, it can become quite boring

Repetition Drills

This approach, as the name suggests, involves performing a skill repeatedly and allows the performer to focus on specific subroutines and develop muscle memory.

Examples

  • Hand Feed - Involves a hand feed which makes it easier for me to hit the shuttle and allows me to focus on subroutines(s);
  • Racquet Feed - Involves a racquet feed which means that the feed will be more unpredictable which makes it more game-like;
  • Continuous Rally – Involves playing my weak skill continuously while my classmate tries to maintain the rally or alternatively we both play the weak skill continuously.
  • Combination Rally - Involves a rally which follows a continuous, predetermined shot pattern.
  • Pressure Drill - A practice which involves increased level of pressure e.g. a more game like feed - multi feed / varied feed etc.

Advantages

  • Allows you to practice in a controlled environment e.g. hand feeds
  • Allows you to focus on specific parts of your performance e.g. improving accuracy through racquet feeds
  • Allows you to consider feedback you receive after every feed. E.g. hand/racquet feeds
  • The level of difficulty can be gradually increased as you make progress e.g. continuous rally to combination rally
  • Combination and pressure drills allows you to link skills together making the practice more game like

Conditioned Games

This approach involves playing a competitive game but with conditions in place that encourages you to focus on your weak skill or specific part of your performance. Conditioned games usually involve certain adaptations to the formal rules of the game.

Examples

  • Double points - Players get 2 points for winning rally with weak skill
  • Protected weakness – A player cannot lose a point for an attempted weak skill
  • Weak Skill Return - Service must be returned by weak skill before rally continues
  • Combination Rally then Game – Pre-determined combination of shots must be played before the rally can be won
  • Backhand Only - Players must move around the court in order to use only backhand
  • Service Box Court – Shorten the court to encourage more net play
  • Half Court Singles – Shorten the court by making the court more narrow

Advantages

  • Practice will reflect the demanding context of a game
  • Allows you to focus on other aspects of play such as making quick decisions and responding quickly
  • Conditions encourage you to focus on weak skills or a specific part of your performance

Why else did you choose this programme of work?

  • It is specific to my chosen activity (Badminton) and also to developing my weakness (Skill Repertoire / Accuracy and Consistency of my Identified Skill).
  • I included a variety of practices in my programme of work to prevent boredom
  • I made sure that as I got better I made the programme of work progressively more difficult so that I continued to improve. This made sure that each session was realistic to me level of ability and achievable.
  • I including challenges and games at the end of each session to make each session more fun which also motivated me to work harder.
  • I included Shadow Practice, Repetition Drills and Conditioned Games as I only needed one other person and very little equipment to participate in these practices which made it simple to complete.

Section 3: Monitoring, recording and evaluating performance development

3(a) Explain why it is necessary to monitor your performance development. (3 marks)

  • It provides a permanent record of performance that can be compared at a later date
  • It can show me whether progress is being made
  • It gives me detailed information about my skill level
  • It allows me to make changes and adapt my programme
  • It can show me whether the training method is appropriate and if it is at the correct level of difficulty
  • It can help motivation as I can see a visible improvement
  • It will show me whether my short-term and long-term goals have been achieved.

(1 mark should be given for each relevant point, or a development of a relevant point, including exemplification)

3(b) Describe how you monitored your programme of work (4 marks).

  • Training Diary - Internal feedback (personal thoughts and feelings)
  • External feedback from partner / teacher
  • Short and long-term goals
  • Games against opponents at the end of each session
  • Repeated Scattergram in Week 2 and at the end of my programme and compared results
  • Repeated General and Focused Observation Schedules at end of programme and compared to schedules completed before programme

(1 mark should be given for each relevant point, or a development of a relevant point, including exemplification)