Acquisition and Performance of Sports Skills provides students with the theoretical and practical background that is necessary for an understanding of the basics of skill acquisition and performance. This understanding is founded on the student's existing knowledge of sport and leads into the subject, using a student centred, problem-solving approach. The first half of the book examines the nature of sports performance and the second skill acquisition. There is a debate among researchers into psychomotor learning: the ecological versus the cognitive approach. Because this book is aimed clearly at students taking a first course in the subject the author includes examples from both schools of thought thus ensuring a balanced approach. looks at skill acquisition firmly within the context of sports performance takes students' practical experience as a starting point then clearly explains the underlying theories presents both cognitive and ecological approaches to the subject to give a balanced view excellent pedagogy including problem-solving tasks, practical experiments and revision notes at the end of chapters Written by an author with many years teaching, research and practical coaching experience, Acquisition and Performance of Sport Skills proves invaluable for students of sport and exercise science taking a first course in skill acquisition, motor learning and/or motor control. This is the second title to appear in the Wiley SportTexts Series that aims to provide textbooks covering the key disciplines within the academic study of sport.

Expertise and research into the development of expertise and skill acquistion in sports performance is a specific area of research within the more general field of motor skills acquisition. This is the first fully comprehensive and focused work on the subject.

Integrating theory with practice, this core textbook provides a structured and sequential introduction to motor learning and motor control. Part 1 begins by introducing what motor learning is and how movement is controlled, before exploring how a learning environment may be manipulated to assist in the learning and performance of movement skills. Part 2 explores motor control from neural, behavioural and dynamic systems perspectives. Part 3 provides an overview of considerations in applying motor learning and skill acquisition principles to physical education, exercise and sports science. Chapters are illustrated with flowcharts and diagrams to aid students' understanding, and include activities and end-of-chapter review questions to consolidate knowledge. Motor Learning and Skill Acquisition is essential reading for all Physical Education, Exercise and Sports Science and Sports Coaching students. New to this Edition: - New and updated chapters on skill acquisition approaches, talent identification and development, and performance analysis and feedback as well as separate chapters on practice design and task modification, and practice organisation and planning - Contains additional content on decision-making, tactical and strategic skills, traditional and constraints-led skill acquisition approaches, practice design, and skill-drill and game-based practice for skill acquisition - Supported by a bank of online lecturer resources, including PowerPoints, MCQs and lab activities

The authors outline the development of a comprehensive model of motor control that has a multidisciplinary framework to capture the different interlocking scales of analysis involved in producing behaviour.

Aimed at coaches, PE teachers and professionals working with athletes, this text introduces sport science topics to coaches, as well as how these concepts can be applied to enhance sports performance.