SPORT SCIENCE Garrett Lucash, RFS, RM
Part 1
Dynamics of Skill Acquisition in Figure Skating B Y G A R R E T T L U C A S H , K E I T H D AV I D S , P H . D , A N D FA B I A N O T T E , P H . D
This is the first of a four-part series on motor skill acquisition in figure skating. Readers can refer to the reference list to explore topics more deeply. We specifically provided hyperlinks to many of the references to make this process easier for coaches. I encourage anyone who has questions to reach out to me: garrett@acskating.com.
T
he science of skill acquisition has emerged as a vital topic in coaches’ education in recent years. A solid understanding of how athletes learn can help coaches make effective and efficient use of precious resources such as time, facilities, equipment, and new technologies, motivating learners to continue developing their skills and expertise throughout life. Fundamental questions for coaches interested in understanding skill acquisition include: ‘How do people learn?’; and ‘What can coaches do to enhance learning experiences for athletes at all levels, from beginner to expert?’. Further, these guiding concepts
and principles in skill acquisition aim to prevent practitioners from coaching how they were coached or copying the methods of coaches they idolize. This article introduces key theoretical ideas on skill acquisition, which can help figure skating coaches make the most of their time and efforts based on contemporary ideas concerning how athletes learn. In particular, we discuss principles that can help coaches develop their practice designs to support individual learners at different skill and experience levels.
A brief history of skill acquisition research The study of skill acquisition as an applied science originated in psychology and education in the USA in the late 1800s, so there has always been an explicit link between theory and practice. In the 1970s, the sub-discipline of sport science emerged in the UK, and many of the key concepts of skill acquisition were transferred from education to the
Figure 1. Examples of individual, task, and environmental constraints that may interact during learning and performance in sport.
Examples of interacting constraints on the emergence of skill, expertise, and talen in athletes Performer
Task
Environment
Cognitive skills, emotional capacities, mental attributes, goals, motivations, intentions
Specific rules, markings, boundaries, surfaces
Family support and networks
Physical constraints including strength, speed endurance, flexibility, height, weight, and acoustic and visual system function. Anatomical Constraints; differences in abilities and capacities
Instructional Constraints including coaching methods; types of feedback provided; exposure to discovery learning, etc.
Cultural expectations and attitudes, social constructions of age, gender, race, etc.
Genes
Use of video, images, simulations and models for practice
Peer group pressure; media images; commercialisation of physical activity and sport
Specific activities undertaken during practice time
Design and scaling of practice equipment (e.g., object mass, implement length, texture)
Access to high class facilities for practice and training
Amount of learning and previous experience
Design of practice tasks: task simplification v. task decomposition
Access to high quality learning opportunities and teaching
Developmental status of various subsystems including those for locomotion, postural control, reaching and grasping, etc
Artificial aids and devices
Physical constraints such as gravity, altitude, ambient lighting, and ambient temperature
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MAY/JUNE 2021
