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Q. I desperately need help with my coursework, its called - ''ANALYSIS OF PERFORMANCE'' for GCSE pupils and I have chosen to do rounders for my sport because I am a rounders county champion for my school. If you could e-mail me back an example of this coursework or help show me how to tackle it that would be great, and I could get writing as soon as possible. Thank you very much.
7th January, 2003

Your teacher should give you an outline of the topics you need to cover for your analysis of performance. If not then you should ask for a guideline. The analysis project is slightly different for each exam board. As we don't know which board you are doing we can only offer a few tips. First look at one aspect of your sport - this could be batting, bowling or fielding - and evaluate performance in that aspect. Then describe how the performance could be improved. Most projects involve some work on how to train for your sport - which types of fitness and training you need to do, together with the effects you expect to achieve. Some boards ask you to show that you understand the rules of your game, but your teacher will have to give you this information.
Hope this helps - but ask your teacher for more information!

Q. Thank you for help in Oct. Here's another? What would be appropriate skills to assess 3-5 year old children in the areas of muscular strength, muscular endurance, cardiovascular strength and agility? Thank you!
24th November, 2003

Hello - welcome back!
This is an interesting question. Children of this age need to be tested in simple ways. Strength can be tested by asking them to hold a front support shape with their legs held off the ground. It isn't possible to test stamina (cardiovascular strength) effectively as you cannot work these children to exhaustion. Agility can be tested using a scaled down test like the Illinois Agility Run. Hope this helps.

Q. Can you help I've got to identify one health-related fitness component that is important to marathon running, gymnastics and rugby (prop forward) for AS Level PE.
11th November, 2003

You need some stamina for gymnastics as the floor routine cannot be completed anaerobically - the others are obviously aerobic most of the time. You need some flexibility even for marathon running - it is obviously needed for gymnastics and rugby (prop forward). You need some strength, measured particularly as muscular endurance, for marathon running - it is an obvious requirement of gymnastics and rugby (prop forward). So, there you go - you choose! Good luck

Q. Can you tell me the components of physical fitness and the definitions please?
11th November, 2003

The components differ depending on your exam board. However, the ones that we list in 'The World of Sport 2nd edition fit into most categories.

Stamina (or aerobic capacity)
This means that we need to be able to work for relatively long periods of time without becoming overtired.

Flexibility
This means that we need to be able to move our joints through their full range of movement This helps us use our body in the way it was designed to be used.

Body build
We need to carry the right amount of fat and muscle.

Strength
This means that we need to be strong enough to carry out all our daily tasks easily.

Speed
Speed is our ability to move all or part of our body as quickly as possible.

Maximum Strength
The ability of our muscles to apply force to an immoveable object

Muscular Power
Power is our ability to contract muscles with speed and force in one explosive act.

Muscular endurance
This is part of our strength. It is our ability to work our muscles very hard for a period of time.

Agility
Agility is our ability to change the direction of the body at speed.

Coordination
Coordination is our ability to perform complex movements with ease.

Reaction time
Reaction time is our ability to react to a stimulus quickly.

Balance
Balance is our ability to retain our position when stationary or moving.

Hope this helps. Look out for the book in your library or bookshop. Good luck.

Q. I was wondering what the important components of fitness are in Netball?
10th November, 2003

How about, speed, agility, co-ordination, muscular power, muscular endurance, and stamina, balance, reaction time? Hope this helps

Q. Is there an assessment/test in regards to health-related fitness (muscular strength, endurance, flexibility and circulatory respiratory) and performance-related fitness (speed, agility, power and balance)?
Thank you for the information.
31st October, 2003

There are many recognised tests for fitness. These include:
Strength: - one rep max or hand grip dynamometer
Endurance - NCF abdominal curls or press-ups
Flexibility - sit and reach
Circulatory/respiratory (stamina) - Cooper 12 min. run, or Harvard step test, or Multi stage (beep) test
Speed - 50 m run
Agility - Illinois agility test
Power - standing broad jump
Balance - stork stand.
All of these tests have norm tables, which allow you to compare your performance with that of others. The tables can be found in The World of Sport Examined 2nd Edition.
Hope this helps

Q. What are the skill related fitness components for 100m shot put and long jump?
21st October, 2003

All of them - except reaction time! Agility, balance, co-ordination, speed, power, strength, muscular endurance (but not so much..)
Hope this helps

Q. Can you help me? I have searched the Internet and books but I can’t find any information on how being physically fit helps prevent illness and disease? Can you help me to define this? Thank you very much for your time
3rd October, 2003

Here is some information from the USA. It came from
http://www.fitness.gov/mm.htm

HOW PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IMPACTS HEALTH:
Regular physical activity that is performed on most days of the week reduces the risk of developing or dying from some of the leading causes of illness and death in the United States. Regular physical activity improves health in the following ways:

• Reduces the risk of dying prematurely.
• Reduces the risk of dying prematurely from heart disease.
• Reduces the risk of developing diabetes.
• Reduces the risk of developing high blood pressure.
• Helps reduce blood pressure in people who already have high blood pressure.
• Reduces the risk of developing colon cancer.
• Reduces feelings of depression and anxiety.
• Helps control weight.
• Helps build and maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints.
• Helps older adults become stronger and better able to move about without falling.
• Promotes psychological well-being.

HEALTH BURDENS THAT COULD BE REDUCED THROUGH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY:
Millions of Americans suffer from illnesses that can be prevented or improved through regular physical activity.

• 13.5 million people have coronary heart disease.
• 1.5 million people suffer from a heart attack in a given year.
• 8 million people have adult-onset (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes.
• 95,000 people are newly diagnosed with colon cancer each year.
• 250,000 people suffer from a hip fractures each year
• 50 million people have high blood pressure
• Over 60 million people (a third of the population) are overweight.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports

How's that?

Q. I wondered if you could help me define "health related fitness" in many books I have read I cannot find a proper meaning for it. Can you please help me out? Thank you very much.
1st October, 2003

A. Some people use the term motor fitness. It means the ability of a person to perform successfully at a particular game or activity. These days we talk about sport or skill related fitness. We know that the ability to perform well depends on a number of different factors. These are:
• Strength (including maximum strength, muscular power and muscular endurance)
• Speed
• Agility
• Co-ordination
• Balance
• Reaction time
You can get more detailed information about this in Chapter 3 (page 66) of World of Sport Examined - 2nd Edition.
Page 69 actually lists the factors and gives their meaning.