Much of this chapter has focused on the pro- gressive learning of skills within a movement skill progression. Although these considerations
Table 7.9 Prerequisite Movement Patterns for the Development of Open Practices in Soccer
Objective Movement pattern movement techniqueSpecific prerequisite Example practice format Observational analysis and feedback Initiation Start to front
Start to side Start to the rear Change of direction
Acceleration pattern from these points: Athletic position Cross-step, hip turn Drop step
45- to 180-degree turn Cut
Lose the marker: The defender must keep in contact with an attacker in a marked zone from a static start. The attacker responds to a ball played into the zone.
Did either player select the appropriate technique to initiate the movement? Did the player execute the appropriate technique?
Transition Jockeying Move rearwards Deceleration Tracking diagonally
Side shuffle with hip turns
Backpedal
Decrease stride length with braking action to athletic position Cross-step, diagonal backpedal
3v2 and 2v1 games: Starting on the halfway line, attackers have to get the ball to the goal line to score, but the ball must be passed one, two or three times before a point can be scored.
Was the player
positioned appropriately relative to the
opponents? Did the player react to the correct cues in terms of where and when to move? Did the player execute the appropriate technique?
Actualization Acceleration Maximal velocity
Acceleration patterns from various initiation positions
Transition from acceleration
Attacking movement drill: The ball is played to the attacker, who comes off the defender to pass the ball back to another player before turning and accelerating onto a 20- to 30-metre diagonal ball into space. The attacker controls the ball, passes to a teammate on the wing, turns and reaccelerates into the penalty box for a cross. The defender has to react to the attacker’s movement but cannot leave a defensive zone.
Did the player react correctly to the stimulus of the ball? Were the acceleration mechanics correct? Were the maximal velocity mechanics correct?
are a major part of a curriculum, for the phys- io-mechanical qualities of skilled movement to progress, the programme needs to follow certain principles of training that allow the body to adapt to the training stimulus.
Training is based on a series of activities or exercises performed systematically to improve the physical abilities and skill acquisition connected to the performance of a sport.5 All
training effects are based on exercise-induced changes in the organism at a variety of levels, and each change specifically depends on type, intensity and duration of exercise.
This book has consistently focused on the idea that training equals learning, an import- ant concept to remember when planning
programmes. Every practice represents a learn- ing opportunity for the athlete. The athlete’s physiological capacities (as opposed to the neural networks of skill learning or cognitive functions associated with tactical development) need to be overloaded in some fashion to stim- ulate development. The nature of this overload depends on the nature of the training stimulus, which will be graded depending on the athlete for which it is targeted.
The neuromuscular system and the respec- tive subcellular components adapt in highly specific ways but only to the demands (adaptive stress) imposed on them by the training load (the volume–intensity interaction). How each particular physiological mechanism responds
specifically to a positive stressor is considered in the early chapters of this book. For a more comprehensive and detailed explanation of this process, see Stone, Stone and Sands (2007).5
Summary
Earlier chapters focused on how the human body is engineered to produce athletic move- ment. The concept of measuring postural control to provide some baseline analysis for programme initiation was explored in chapter 6. The following chapters detail the training methodologies that can be progressively intro- duced to enhance or maximize the athletic movement of a sport performer. But the key to the success of an athletic movement pro- gramme is not just what is in the programme but also how the training methods are struc- tured and sequenced within the programme to optimize the learning and adaptation processes. This chapter explored several key features of programme design based on the need to individualize training prescription according to the athlete’s stage of learning and training
status. This concept is as important in a group setting as it is when working one on one with an athlete. Indeed, although the athletic devel- opment professional may work with a squad or team, he or she needs to remain focused on the idea that the athletes need to be treated as individuals if they are to progress physically.
The environmental manipulation of prac- tices is important if a skill is to be progressed from a technique to a sport-specific application that can be used effectively under pressure. This manipulation can be achieved by making skills more open (subject to externally deter- mined variables) or by introducing concepts related to games that can enhance tactical awareness or technical understanding.
Competency is a key determinant of when to progress or provide additional challenge to a technique. Competency is a key theme in the successful teaching of athletic movement control and the methods explored in the fol- lowing chapters, whereby movements can be progressed or regressed in complexity or intensity depending on the capability of the individual athlete.
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