Sport Skill Instruction for Coaches

Sport Skill Instruction for Coaches is designed to help current and aspiring coaches teach the skills athletes need in order to perform at their best. Written from a real-world perspective primarily for high school coaches, this practical, user-friendly text addresses the who, what, and how questions facing every coach: Who are the athletes I'm coaching? What are the skills I need to teach? How do I teach the skills effectively? Coaches will address these questions by thoroughly examining such concepts as individual differences exhibited by athletes; technical, tactical, and mental skills athletes need to learn; content and structure of skill practice; the art of providing feedback; and the preparation of athletes for competition. This exploration prepares coaches to work with athletes competently and confidently. The easy-to-follow format of the text includes learning objectives that introduce each chapter, sidebars illustrating sport-specific applications of key concepts and principles, chapter summaries organized by content and sequence, key terms, chapter review questions, activities that challenge readers to apply concepts to real-world situations, and a comprehensive glossary.

Table of Contents:
ASEP Silver Level Series Preface Preface Acknowledgments Part I Foundations of Skill Instruction Chapter 1 Basics of Good Teaching Differences Between Learning and Performing Three Basic Ingredients of Skill Instruction Process-Focused Approach to Providing Sport Skill Instruction Learning Aids Chapter 2 It All Starts With the Athlete Individual Differences Learner Characteristics Difficulties in Predicting Future Performance Success Learning Aids Part II Skills Your Athletes Need Chapter 3 Technical Skills What Are Technical Skills? Classifications of Technical Skills Speed–Accuracy Trade-Off Learning Aids Chapter 4 Tactical Skills Understanding Tactical Skills Identifying Important Tactical Skills Helping Your Athletes Develop Their Tactical Skills Creating a Blueprint of Tactical Options Learning Aids Chapter 5 Mental Skills Emotional Arousal in Athletic Performance Attention During Sport Competition Connection Between Arousal and Attention Memory in Performance Preparation Using Mental Skills to Maximize Performance Combining Mental and Physical Rehearsal Learning Aids Part III Designing Practice Sessions Chapter 6 Skill Analysis: Deciding What to Teach Identifying the Skills Your Athletes Need to Learn Setting Goals Analyzing Technical Skills Identifying Target Behaviors Learning Aids Chapter 7 Deciding on the Content and Structure of Practice Games Approach to Skill Practice Establishing Two-Way Communication Instructions, Demonstrations, and Guidance Modifications of Technical Skill Rehearsal Practice Structure Developing Athletes' Anticipation Games Approach to Practicing for Competition Learning Aids Chapter 8 Providing Feedback Intrinsic and Extrinsic Feedback Verbal and Visual Feedback Outcome and Performance Feedback Program and Parameter Feedback Descriptive and Prescriptive Feedback Practical Considerations for Giving Feedback Learning Aids Chapter 9 Combining the Practice of Technical, Tactical, and Mental Skills Planning Effective Practices Creating Practice Activities Evaluating the Effectiveness of Practice Activities A Final Comment Learning Aids Appendix A: Answers to Review Questions Appendix B: Answers to Practical Activities Glossary Bibliography Index About the Author

About the Author :
Craig A. Wrisberg, PhD, is a professor of sport psychology in the department of exercise, sport, and leisure studies at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, where he has taught since 1977. During the past 30 years he has published numerous research articles on the topics of anticipation and timing in performance, knowledge of results and motor learning, and the role of cognitive strategies in sport performance. He is also the coauthor (with Richard Schmidt) of the popular text Motor Learning and Performance, published by Human Kinetics. In 1982 he received the Brady Award for Excellence in Teaching and in 1994 the Chancellor's Award for Research and Creative Achievement. A former president of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) and the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity, Dr. Wrisberg is a fellow of both AASP and the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education. In addition to teaching and conducting research, Dr. Wrisberg provides mental training services for student-athletes in the men's and women's athletics departments at Tennessee. In his work with athletes, he applies many of the important concepts and principles covered in Sport Skill Instruction for Coaches. Dr. Wrisberg enjoys several outdoor activities, including tennis, canoeing, and hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains.