EVIDENCE BASE FOR SPORT

Skill Acquisition for Sport

Skill acquisition investigates the factors that affect the acquisition, performance, and retention of sports skills in both developing and elite athletes.

Skill acquisition specialists work to understand how individuals or groups are able to make decisions, source information, and produce complex movement patterns. This may include a number of tasks such as:

Designing and implementing skill training sessions for individuals or teams.
Providing coaches and service providers with guidance on using instructions and feedback.
Developing appropriate skill-based tests to measure performance and learning.
Delivering workshops and seminars to educate coaches and athletes on skill acquisition principles.
Developing supplementary training sessions, often using video-based methods and the latest technologies such as simulation techniques and sensors.
Working with other sports scientists to change technique, measure performance, or design appropriate training activities.
Undertaking research to investigate key questions of interest, particularly relating to the application of skill acquisition in a high performance environment.

Resources

Groups, societies and professional bodies

North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA). The purpose of NASPSPA is to develop and advance the study of motor behaviour (development, learning, and control) and sport and exercise psychology.

Vocational education and training

The pathway to becoming a skill acquisition specialist in a high performance environment typically requires a undergraduate degree in Human Movement, Exercise Science, or Physical Education. Skill acquisition specialists also often complete an Honours degree followed by either a Masters or PhD, specialising in skill acquisition. Mentoring from an experienced skill acquisition specialist is also an important step in developing the necessary skills required in the role.

Professional Accreditation

In August 2020 the AIS released the Sports Science Sports Medicine Practitioner Minimum Standards. These standards represent the mandatory minimum standards for SSSM staff and contractors engaged to deliver services in these disciplines of practice (including skill acquisition) by National Sporting Organisations (NSOs) that are subject to the AIS SSSM Best Practice Principles via their Sport Investment Agreement. They will also guide the minimum SSSM personnel requirements of the National Institute Network (NIN).

In December 2017 the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) announced the introduction of a national accreditation scheme for sport scientists. The scheme is run in partnership with Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA) and the Australian Strength & Conditioning Association (ASCA).

Further resources and reading

Access to resources
Where possible, direct links to full-text and online resources are provided. However, where links are not available, you may be able to access documents directly by searching our licenced full-text databases (note: user access restrictions apply). Alternatively, you can ask your institutional, university, or local library for assistance—or purchase documents directly from the publisher. You may also find the information you’re seeking by searching Google Scholar.

Routledge handbook of sport expertise. Farrow, D. & Baker, J. (Eds.). Routledge, (2015). (held by Australian Sports Commission)
Motor learning and performance: From principles to application (5th ed.), Schmidt, R. & Lee. T., Human Kinetics, (2014). (held by Australian Sports Commission & Queensland Academy of Sport)
Developing sport expertise: Researchers and coaches put theory into practice. Farrow, D., Baker, J. & MacMahon, C. (Eds.), Routledge, (2013). (held by Australian Sports Commission)
Motor Learning in Practice: A Constraints-Led Approach. Davids K, Savelsbergh G and Renshaw U (Eds.), Routledge, (2012). (held by Australian Sports Commission & Queensland Academy of Sport)
Skill Acquisition in Sport: Research, Theory and Practice (2nd Ed.). Hodges NJ, and Williams AM (Eds.), Routledge, (2012). (held by Australian Sports Commission)
Motor learning and control: Concepts and applications (9th ed.). Magill, R. A., McGraw Hill, (2011). (held by Australian Sports Commission)
Talent Identification and Development in Sport: International Perspectives. Baker J, Cobley S, and Schorer J (Eds.), Routledge, (2011).(held by Australian Sports Commission & Queensland Academy of Sport)
Dynamics of skill acquisition: A constraints-led approach. Davids, Button, & Bennett, Human Kinetics, (2008). (held by Australian Sports Commission & Queensland Academy of Sport)
The Cambridge Handbook of expertise and expert performance, Ericsson, K.A., Charness, N., Feltovich, P.J., & Hoffman, R.R. (Eds.), Cambridge University Press, (2006). (held by Australian Sports Commission)

Proceedings of the 2016 International Association of Computer Science in Sport (IACSS) Conference. The International Association of Computer Science in Sport Conference 2016 took place between July 31– August 3, 2016 in Brasilia, Brazil. The aim of the conference was to promote the inter-disciplinary field of sport science and computer science in order to face challenging problems in sports and exercise sciences, supported by formal models, analytical approaches and computational support. (IACSS)

National Institute Network Research. Recently published sport science/sports medicine research from National Institute Network (NIN) researchers. This list is updated on a monthly basis.

Australian Institute of Sport Research

ASC National Sports Research Centre - Skill Acquistion 1988-1995

Licencing restrictions apply to some resources listed below.

Public All Clearinghouse members 'Australian' members only
'High Performance' members only Restricted access Various restrictions
Please see Clearinghouse membership categories for further information.

Inspiring athletes to take ownership of their learning, Alexandra Roberts, AIS Skill Acquisition, 2020 VISION Combat Coach Seminar (28 May 2017)
Practice structure and design for skill retention, Michael Maloney, AIS Skill Acquisition, 2020 VISION Combat Coach Seminar (27 May 2017)
Periodisation of Skills Training, Professor Damian Farrow, Professor of Sports Science VU and AIS, SmartTalk Seminar Series, Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra (18 April 2017)
Working across disciplines. Professor Gabriele Bammer, Research School of Population Health, The Australian National University, SmartTalk Seminar Series, Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra (6 June 2016)
Improving the Physical Preparation of Female Sevens Players. Anthea Clarke, AIS, UC and ARU PhD Scholar, SmartTalk Seminar Series, Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra (8 February 2016)
Skill acquisition principles applied: Contested shooting, Brad Davison, National Shooting Coach and Talent ID Manager, Basketball Australia, Basketball Australia Coaches Conference - Even Better Practice, Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra (4 May 2016)
Brain Changes and the Limits of Training, Professor Vincent Walsh, Professor of Human Brain Research at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, SmartTalk Seminar Series, Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra (23 January 2013)
The Making of Superior Athletes through Deliberate Practice, Professor K Anders Ericsson, Florida State University, Smart Talk Seminar Series, Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra (6 June 2012)
Developing skills: enhancing the learning environment, Professor Karl M. Newell, Head of the Department of Kinesiology at Pennsylvania State University, Smart Talk Seminar Series (05 May 2011)
Self Modelling – Can watching yourself perform a skill enhance performance? Professor Diane Ste-Marie – University of Ottawa, Smart Talk Seminar Series, Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra (06 October 2009)
A multi-dimensional examination of the relative age effect on talent development, Dr Damian Farrow, Acting Head of AIS Psychology, Smart Talk Seminar Series, Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra (1 June 2009)
Practice, Instruction and Skill Acquisition, Dr Mark Williams, Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, UK, Smart Talk Seminar Series (16 March 2009)

Australian lawn bowlers prepare for 2018 Commonwealth Games, Australian Sports Commission, YouTube, (26 February 2017). Senior Skill Acquisition Specialist Derek Panchuk explains how the AIS was working with Bowls Australia athletes to better understand the characteristics eye tracking in elite bowlers. Fellow researchers from La Trobe University were also collecting biomechanical data. "The eyes tell us how we're taking in the information, and the biomechanics tells us how we're actually using that information".
Role of affordances in enhancing skill acquisition and expertise in sport, Professor Keith Davidson, British Psychological Society, YouTube, (13 July 2016). Professor Keith Davids, Sheffield Hallam University talks about his research on ecological dynamics particularly focussing on affordances. Coaches can embrace unstructured learning.
Eye-tracker, Dr Graham Phillips and Prof Damian Farrow. Catalyst, ABC, (31 May 2012). Feature story on eye tracking and decision making in the AFL.
Australian Coaches - Skill Acquisition, Australian Sports Commission, YouTube, (28 October 2009). Decision making and anticipation skills and implicit and explicit learning are important parts of skill acquisition covered in this video. This video explores the way that these principles can be incorporated into coaching.

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