A03 Games Based Sport

I am very proud of my achiements in football and still love playing it. Although I do not play in a weekend football team I played for my primary school and played for WGSB last year in year 7. I also go to Friday club after school with Mr Nicholls most Fridays which is indoor football.

When I was about seven years old I played football every Saturday across the road where a man called Junior did some training and matches. It wasn’t a team, it was fun and we played lots of matches against each other. The ages ranged from about five to about sixteen or even eighteen. Unfortunately after a few years Junior had to move house to Essex and the Saturday football stopped. Below are a few trophies and some medals I have achieved from it.

Every Wednesday from when I was about five I went to the Charlton Challenge. No...I do not support Charlton but it was another fun football session. Below you will find some pictures of the badges and certificates I have earned from it and you will notice how much I have progressed from the first badge all the way up to the fifth or Premier Challenge badge.    

 

      

A03 Athletic Based Sport

The graph above shows how much improved from year 6 to year 7 in the 100 meter sprint. As you can see I have improved massively since year 6 and I can’t wait to race again this year in year 8. The reason why I have improved is because I can achieve a better start and can sustain my top speed throughout most of the race. To improve my time I need to stop looking to the side to see where the opposing sprinters are because this makes me go slower. Although, I am not the fastest in the year I am proud of my achievements and I still enjoy running short distances.

Below are some pictures I have taken of my medals I received from my primary school sports day and a certificate I received from a day out at Norman Park with the school. At primary school I was the fastest in our year and I received a medal from the 100 meter sprint every year.  Occasionally I received more than one medal a year from other events such as the hurdles.  

A03 Gymnastic Based Sport

The graph above shows how much I have improved from year 7 to year 8 in the Gate Vault, Through Vault, Straddle Vault and the Handspring. As you can see I have improved in all of the different jumps especially in the Gate Vault where I got 6 out of 10 in year 7 but 9 out of 10 in year 8. The table below also shows you how much I have improved since year 7.  

	Gate Vault	Through Vault	Straddle Vault	Handspring
Year 7	6	5	4	6
Year 8	9	6	6	8

In the first lesson we started by jumping on a trampet, trying to get as much lift as possible. However, after a few goes of this we introduced the Gate Vault which everyone found fairly easy. This was when we included our first obstacle to jump over. This obstacle began very low but soon Mr Harris started making it higher and higher and I got a bit nervous. When it came to my go I found it easy.

In the second lesson we used a springboard as this is what is meant to be used for a vault and we introduced the Through Vault. I don’t know why but I found this very tricky and still do because I always end up doing a straddle vault. However when I tried to do the Straddle Vault I couldn’t do it.

In the third lesson we started by introducing the Handspring which unlike many other people I found quite easy and I ended up getting an 8 out of 10. I also enjoyed the Handspring. In the next few lessons we carried on practising these different vaults until the last day when we got filmed by Mr Harris.  

VIDEO

My best vault is probably the gate vault, my worst being the through vault. My favourite has to be the handspring because, although I’m not perfect at it, I enjoy pushing off from the vault, doing a roly-poly in mid air.  

Gate Vault- In my gate vault I think I need to improve my lift from the springboard because I am not getting enough height to do a perfect Vault. My run up is great and so is my landing but if I can get my lift off right then I will get 10 out of 10 for it.

Through Vault- This is my worst and my least favourite Vault, most likely because I often end up doing a Straddle Vault which ends up hurting. To improve my Through Vault I need to work on my run up so that I build up enough power to lift myself over the vault. I also need to push my arms hard off the vault to get my legs over and onto the mat on the other side.    

Straddle Vault- It depends on my mood as to whether I do a good Straddle Vault. If I am in a great mood then I will achieve a great vault, however if I am in a not so great mood then I won’t achieve a very good Vault. To improve this vault I must push hard off the springboard to get as much lift as possible to keep the momentum built up by the run up. Sometimes I catch my left leg on the vault and hurt myself. This is why the run up is so important. My landing is usually good.   

Handspring- Although this is not my best vault I enjoy it the most. The only thing I need to improve is my landing but other than that it is pretty good. To get the landing right I must push off from the vault with a bit more strength. This will allow me to land my Handspring.   

A02 Games Based Sport

Skills:

·         Passing:

This is one of the most basic skills in football but at first it may be tricky. You are meant to pass the ball with the inside of your foot or if you want to challenge yourself you can use the outside of your foot. Keep your other foot straight towards the way you’re passing.

·         Short Passing:

This is the easiest type of passing because you don’t need to pass it over a long distance. Using the inside of the foot is the most accurate way of passing because it keeps the ball under control. However, using the inside of your foot will not produce much power so it is easy for the opponent to work out where you are going to pass the ball.

When approaching the ball you want to lift your left back so you have room to swing your leg forward to hit the ball. Your ‘none kicking’ leg should be parallel next to the ball to make your pass accurate.  

Keeping your ankle firm you need to swing your leg forward and strike the ball in the centre. By striking the ball in the centre the ball will stay on the ground and is more likely to go where you want it to. If you don’t keep your ankle firm it will go all floppy and the ball won’t be as accurate.

The more you follow through with your foot the further the ball will go. For a short pass you don’t want too much power behind it nut for a long pass you will want more power. The more you play the better you will get at judging how much power you need behind it.

                        

·         Drive Passing:

This is an extremely hard skill to master. Even professional players struggle with it. Top players like Beckham and Gerrard are masters of this skill but with all things, practise makes perfect. To make a perfect drive pass you must use the instep and drive through the ball; this makes a low pass with enough power to get past a defender. Keeping the ball on the ground will make the ball easier for a teammate to run onto.

·         Controlling the Ball:

A good first touch is always the most important thing to do because without one you will lose the ball. To get a good fist touch you must get the ball under control so that you don’t lose it to an opponent. If you can get this skill right then it’s more likely you will have a better game. Whether you are controlling the ball with your feet, head, knees, chest or thigh the basics are always the same. Everyone makes mistakes but make sure you try your best to keep it under control. You will gradually improve this skill as you play more and more.

·         Tackling:

This is one of the most important skills. Whatever position, striker or defender, you need to have the ability to tackle. If the opposing team have the ball your team obviously want it back. To get the ball back you need to make a tackle but make sure it’s a clean tackle not a foul. There are many different types of tackle, some more complicated than others, but the block tackle is the most basic and most common.   Sliding tackles are much harder and more difficult to get right.    

·         Scoring Goals:

Scoring goals is what every football player wants to do, but it’s harder than it looks. You need to be able to judge and time your shot, know where the goal is, beat the keeper and not embarrass yourself. Most goals are scored when the player strikes the ball with their laces but some goals are scored when they use the outside or even the inside of the foot. Scoring a goal is like winning the lottery.  

Techniques:

·          Short Passing:

To get the best pass you want to be approaching the ball at an angle of about 30 degrees so that you have room to swing your kicking leg through. You non-kicking foot should be next to the ball pointing towards the way you want to kick the ball. Use your arms for balance and keep your head still and focus on the ball.

When striking the ball you want to strike the middle of the ball so the ball will stay on the ground and this helps with accuracy. You need to strike it with the inside of your foot keeping you ankle firm, not floppy. With this type of passing your aim is to keep the ball on the ground so it is easier for your teammate to control.

As well as striking the centre of the ball, the weight you put on the pass is critical. Too much the ball will go miles; too little the ball won’t reach your teammate. The more you play the better you will become. Too increase the power follow through with the kicking leg but the weight of the pass will depend on how far away your teammate is.

·         Heading:

Whatever position you play in, whether its striker or defender, you need to have the ability to head the ball. The best part of the head to use is the forehead because it’s the most accurate and the safest part. Many players find it difficult to time their headers right but like most things practise makes perfect. To perform a header you also need to be in the best position so you can get your head on the ball and not embarrass yourself.

·         Goalkeeping:

All keepers need to be ready to react to a shot at any time, especially if they haven’t done anything for a long period of time. They need to be in a ‘ready’ position at all times and must always concentrate on where the ball is. A goalkeeper must always try to hold onto the ball whenever possible so that the opposition cannot get a rebound. There are many different ways in which to catch a ball. All good goalkeepers should know they must try and catch a ball in a cross so they are put out of danger but catching a high ball can be very tricky, especially when an opponent is challenging you. In many cases the keeper may need to dive for the ball, not always. The key is getting into a good position early so you can react to the shot quicker. God footwork is essential as well as agility through the air.

·         Volleying:

This can be a very hard technique to master but once you can do it you’ll never forget it. It’s also a technique that looks very effective if you can do it but very embarrassing if you can’t. To perform a volley you must strike the ball while it is still in the air, this can make accuracy even harder. This technique is all about timing, too early and the ball will be too high, too early and the ball will be too low.

Tactics:

·         Attacking:

By attacking you are putting pressure on your opponents and main objective of attacking football is to score goals. There are many different types of attacking football; some can be more complex than others. Counter attacking football is one of the most obvious ways to attack. 

As you can see in the image above the blue team have left their defence wide open which means when the red team got the ball within two passes they had a clear chance on goal. This is what we call counterattacking football. Scoring a goal against 11 players is very tricky but the beauty of counterattacking football is that you use the other team’s desperation to score a goal to your advantage. The key is to leave a man up front so that if the defence get the ball they can quickly get up field to the isolated striker so they can make a run on goal.

Many teams choose to use the ‘long-ball’ tactic. Instead of the defence spending time on the ball finding the perfect pass they will kick the ball up front so that the attackers can have a chance on goal. In the image below you can see the red team’s defender has booted the ball up front to create a chance on goal. However, this tactic doesn’t always work because by just booting the ball up field you aren’t keeping the ball under control, therefore, any player can receive it.    

  

By getting the ball out wide you are getting the ball out to open space. The middle of the pitch is the most crowded area so if you get the ball out wide to a winger the winger can dribble the ball all the way to the box and cross it in or even shoot. Many teams choose this tactic and this tactic is very effective.

In the image above you can see that the red winger has run all the way from the halfway line to almost the edge of the box and has crossed it in to a red striker. Look at how many opponents are on the wing and compare that to how many there are in the centre of the pitch. There’s just one defender on the wing so the red winger can easily get passed and put the blue team under pressure.

Many teams like exploiting set-plays to create chances. This includes: free kicks, throw-ins and corner kicks. If these teams get a corner they will pack the box with players so it’s more likely they will score but if they don’t they will leave the defence wide open.  

As you can see in the image above the red team have only left a couple of men back and have packed the box with players for the corner. If the ball is crossed in correctly they should score easily but if the blue team get it they can easily make counterattack. 

·         Defending:

Many teams use a ‘zonal defence’ tactic which is where every defender and midfielder is given a particular zone on the pitch to cover when the opposition has the ball. This technique is usually used when players lack in pace. This is a particularly important technique when it comes to set-pieces but relies heavily on players fulfilling their duties and staying focused at all times.   

As you can see in the image above the defenders are in a row of four and the midfielders are in another row of four. They cover every part of the pitch but if one of the defenders or midfielders lacks concentration attackers can easily get past. The defending line is the most important as it is the last row of defence and if each player is not synchronized the attackers will easy get through on goal.

Many teams like using a man to man marking tactic. This is where each defender picks a certain player they will mark throughout the match; this is a good tactic when it comes to through balls. Not every player marks an opponent, as you can see in the image above, only a few do but these few players must stick to this opponent and not lose concentration.

Strategies:

·         Formations:

In modern football 4-4-2 is the most common and adaptable formation. However, the bad thing about this formation is the big gap in-between the central defenders. This means the central defenders must help at the back which means they will get extremely tired after doing a lot of work.   

In recent times the 4-5-1 formation has grown in popularity, however, this formation is more for defensive play but can be tweaked to cause an offensive threat. The 4-5-1 formation has a great positive to it because there are three central midfielders for better passing and a lone striker, typically a target man. Having five midfielders’ helps in counterattacking football but it does rely heavily on the wingers supporting the striker. 

The 4-3-3 formation generally emphasizes attack more than defence. This formation may be a bit like the 4-5-1 formation but instead of the wingers supporting the central midfielders they are acting as forwards.

The 4-3-1-2 formation, commonly known as the ‘Diamond formation’, refers to the midfield, with an attacking midfielder employed and flanked by two wingers, who move infield slightly to shore up the gaps in the centre. The full backs become wingbacks and start slightly higher up on the pitch to cover for the lack of width in the side. 

Another defensive formation is the 5-3-2 line up. The wing play is the sole responsibility of the full- backs. The three central defenders provide extra defence to stop any attackers getting through and in the image below you will see that the three midfielders are all located around the centre circle. There is also a notable gap between the midfield and attack.

   

A01 Athletics Based Sport

100 meter sprint:

Introduction:

The 100 metres is the shortest common outdoor running distance and is the most popular. With such a short distance it’s all about speed. Since it was first contested in the Olympics in 1896 it has always been one of the most popular events. The 100 metre is run on the home straight of a 400 metre athletic track and is sometimes extended so it is a straight line race. This is the most exciting and prestigious event and begins when an official who fires the starter’s pistol. The sprinters start in the starting blocks and once they hear the pistol they set off, usually reaching top speed about half way. Some of the speeds they get to are phenomenal. 

Rules of the 100 metre Sprint:

Women:

·         Any sprinter will be disqualified if they are caught obstructing another runner.

·         Sprinters aren’t allowed to run inside the inner curve of the track.

·         Sprinters will be disqualified if they false start twice in the same race.

·         An automatic devise should be used to measure time.

·         If a sprinter is unable to finish the race they will get no marks.

·         Preliminary heat races are held if there are more than ten runners. The top runners will then meet in the next round.

·         Technical delegates should oversee the heats, quarter-finals and semi-finals.

·         Length and width of track and lanes should not be in violation of IAAF instructions.

Men:

·         Preliminary heat races are held if there are more than ten runners. The top runners will then meet in the next round.

·         Length and width of track and lanes should not be in violation of IAAF instructions.

·         Any sprinter will be disqualified if he is caught obstructing a fellow runner. The referee is allowed to order the whole competition to be held again.

·         Sprinters will be disqualified if they false start twice in the same race.

·         Sprinters are allowed to where spiked shoes.

·         The time will be recorded to 1/100^th of a second.

·         The appointed technical delegates will arrange the heats, quarter-finals and semi-finals.

·         If a sprinter is unable to finish the race they will get no marks.

·         An automatic devise should be used to measure time.

·         Sprinters aren’t allowed to run inside the inner curve of the track.

Starting Positions:

Unlike the 200m, 300m or 400m, in the 100m all the competitors start side by side. This is because this particular race involves no curves. However in the 200m, 300m and 400m, that involve curves, the competitors are staggered for the start.

Block Starts:

On your mark,

·         Make sure blocks are correctly positioned on the track and the correct distance from the finish line.

·         Make sure foot blocks are at the correct angle.

·         Make sure blocks are firmly located in the track.

·         Make sure foot are correctly located in the blocks.

·         Make a small bridge with your fingers; make sure they are behind the line.

·         Make sure hands are slightly wider than shoulder width, evenly positioned.

·          Make sure your shoulders are vertically above or slightly ahead of your hands.

·         Make sure your arms are not locked at the elbow but kept straight.

·         Make sure your head and neck are in line with your spine.

·         Keep your eyes focused on the track, one or two metre ahead.

·         Breathe gently.

·         Relax your face and neck muscles.

Set,

·         Hold your breath.

·         Position your hips slightly above your shoulders.

·         Keep your head and neck in line with the spine.

·         Keep your eyes focused on the track, one or two metres ahead.

·         Keep your shoulders slightly ahead of your hands.

·         Make your front leg knee angle approximately 90 degrees.

·         Make your rear leg knee angle approximately 120 degrees.

·         Push your feet hard against the back of the blocks. 

Dimensions:

For this race each of the sprinters run 100 metres, this may be extended a bit, and there are eight lanes. Each of the runners has a lane each and cannot cross lanes at any moment in the race, only once they have crossed the finish line. Like I have said above the 100 metre race is run in a straight line on the home straight of a 400 metre athletics track.

The image above is of a 400 metre athletics track. If you look at the bottom left corner of the track there is an extra bit sticking out of the oval. This the extended bit of the 100 metre sprint so that the runners aren’t starting on a curve (this isn’t always the case. The race finishes at the end of the home straight.

All athletics tracks are 400 metres in length and usually have 8 lanes. Each lane is 1.22m in width, some may vary. In the United States non-standard track lengths are commonly found, some may be 402.3m.

Organizations:

Asian Athletics Association (AAA):

http://www.asianathletics.org/inside/history.htm

  As you can guess the AAA covers the athletics held in Asia and the link above will take you to their homepage. On the homepage you will find a lot of information about the organization and the history behind it.

Some of the countries they work with include: Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Jordan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Syria, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.      

   European Athletics Association (EAA):

 The EAA is one of the 6 area associations of the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF). The six area associations include:

·         Asian Athletics Association (AAA), which I have mentioned about on the previous page.

·         Confederation of African Athletes (CAA)

·         South American Athletes Confederation (CONSUDATLE)

·         North America, Central America and Caribbean Athletic Association

·         European Athletics Association (EAA)

·         Oceania Athletics Association (OAA)

International Association of Athletics Federation:

The IAAF are home of world athletics. This National Organization organises all the events that happen all around the world. The six area associations make the International Association of Athletic Federation (IAAF) and the IAAF organises all the athletic events each year including:

·         Millrose Games

·         Antrim International Cross Country

·         Aviva Grand Prix

·         Tokyo Marathon

·         Asian Race Walking Championships

·         Volkswagen Prague Marathon

·         South American Championships

·         FISU games

·         Metro 10km

·         Amsterdam Marathon

·         New York City Marathon

·         Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon

Role Models:

Men:

Fastest Time:	Athlete:	Nation:	Date:	Location:
9.58	Usain Bolt	Jamaica	16th August 2009	Berlin
9.69	Tyson Gay	United States	20th September 2009	Shanghai
9.72	Asafa Powell	Jamaica	2nd September 2009	Lausanne
9.78	Nesta Carter	Jamaica	29th August 2010	Rieti
9.79	Maurice Green	United States	16th June 1999	Athens

Nesta Carter

Asafa Powell

Usaine Bolt

Tyson Gay

Women:

Fastest Time:	Athlete:	Nation:	Date:	Location:
10.49	Florence Griffith-Joyner	United States	16th July 1988	Indianapolis
10.64	Carmelita Jeter	United States	20th September 2009	Shanghai
10.65	Marion Jones	United States	12th September 1998	Johannesburg

 

Florence Griffith-Green

Carmelita Jeter

Marion Jones

Equipment:

1.       Correct footwear:

There is no point wearing school shoes for a 100m sprint race. You need correct running such as the trainers in the image above. They need a good amount of grip and they need to be quite tight. This is so:

a)      Your feet won’t ache afterwards,

b)      Your shoes don’t fall of and

c)       You don’t slip.

2.       Thin top and shorts:

You won’t need jeans and a jumper for a sprint race and you certainly don’t need a coat. You will need to wear light clothes so you can get a bit of extra speed. You should also where thin socks.

3.       Starting blocks:

These aren’t necessary for children and most stadiums own their own that the professionals use but at home or for training you may need to get your own.

4.       Stopwatch:

These are not necessary because professionals are automatically times but children may want to time each other. These are usually used for the longer distances.