Essay On Standing Back Handspring A Gymnast

The physical capabilities of athletes such as gymnast require them to have a variety of motor skills. Motor skills are the voluntary movements of the body, it’s a task someone learns to do which they can eventually perform consistently and efficiently. Motor skills involve “locomotor skills (e.g., run, gallop, hop, leap, horizontal jump and slide); object control skills (e.g. catch, kick, overhand throw and dribble) and body management skills (e.g., balance, climb and forward roll) and provide a base for more advanced motor skills” (Gallahue & Ozmun, 2005). Observing for example a gymnast doing a standing back handspring which involves gross motor skills due to the performer using their whole body from feet to hands as they flip. A standing
Abilities are the inherited skills and qualities of a person which are their stable and enduring characteristics such as “agility, coordination, strength, and flexibility”(Haibach, Reid, Collier, 2011). Motor abilities are influenced by learning and genetic factors and everyone has a variety of them. Whereas skills combine ability to perform a certain motor skill, skills can develop and change over time. To perform a standing back handspring a gymnast or anyone must have certain abilities such as control precision as they have to go from standing upright to a sitting position, to bending over backwards which requires controlled movements of large muscle groups. Trunk strength is important, dynamic balance is most important because the performer will essentially go through four different positions to complete the back handspring, extent flexibility is needed as they have to move the body fluidly through their range of motion. The reasons why elite gymnast can perform a standing back handspring correctly compared to someone who just learned is because they've practiced and have past experiences, they usually start very young when they are most flexible, they improve on their balance the more they perform the