"Feedback in Synchronized Swimming" Liletta Hairopoulou, Ph.D Assistant Professor of the University of Athens TEFAA
Feedback (feedback) is the information about the movement or about the result of the movement. There are two basic types of feedback: internal and external.
Internal feedback it comes from the sense of movement (kinesis), which comes from the motor receptors in the muscles and joints and gives information about the range, intensity and speed of the movement.
External feedback provided by the result of the movement, i.e. the score of the judges is a kind of feedback about the result of the movement (figure or choreography).
The external feedback to Synchronized swimming it is basically provided by the technical instructions given by the coach to the athletes. This type of feedback is called movement performance knowledge, i.e. information is provided regarding the execution of the movement. The coach must give the athletes two types of information:
A. Information about the mistakes made.
B. Error Correction Information.
a) Information about the mistakes made.
The information to execute a move must be accurate. "This is good", an observation that does not provide accurate information about the movement. "This angle is 100 degrees, not 90 degrees." This is more accurate and correct information.
- The information should contain 2 to 3 items, no more.
- The information must be provided immediately after the movement is executed.
b) Information on the correction of errors.
The most important point in the correction of mistakes by the trainer is not only to point out the size of the mistake, but also to indicate the way and the technique of correcting the mistake.
Usually the coach makes known the result of the wrong movement to the athlete but fails to inform her about how to correct her wrong movement.
The coach should have many ways of explaining the mistake to the athlete, because especially in the vertical positions the athlete has an orientation problem and cannot easily understand the coach's instructions.
For the most efficient error correction should be used:
- Mirror on the side of the pool so that the athlete has a visual image.
- Video camera, so that the athlete can see the execution of her movement and, with the appropriate instructions from the coach, correct any mistakes.
- Of course, the main means for correcting mistakes during movement is the portable tape recorder which is connected to the hydrophones. The trainer with the help of the microphone can make corrections during the execution of the movement
Using feedback from the coach to more efficiently correct the movement.
First the Synchronized Swimming coach must determine the type of error being performed and explain it in simple words to the athlete. Then he should determine the correct execution of the movement. His instruction must contain not only "what" is performed but also "how" it should be performed (technique). The coach must use positive coping to correct mistakes so that positive psychological reinforcement is created. B.C. "That's very good, well done, try again."
Since the mistake is difficult to correct, the coach must define a series of stages that will help the athlete achieve her goal. She should prepare the athlete for each stage, giving her information on how to perform the skill in each of these stages.
At each stage, reinforcement is needed with external feedback until the performance of the skill reaches the performance target, which is set for each step. The coach must follow the steps in the specified order until the desired performance of the skill is achieved.
Note: Error correction and correct skill formation steps must be applied to each athlete individually and according to her individual needs and abilities.
Use of external feedback as a means of strengthening the athlete's psychology.
Feedback, when used correctly, is the best way to boost the athlete's mental mood so that she wants to train correctly and systematically for a long period of time.
The coach, no matter how hard the training is, should create a positive atmosphere and mentally strengthen each of her athletes, so that they constantly try harder and with greater mood and dedication.
To do this, the coach should know the following:
Give external feedback with knowledge of performance, specific and rewarding. Novice athletes need more and more frequent reward than experienced athletes.
To avoid insults when the athlete cannot perform an exercise. Negative feedback leads to performance regression.
To present the gymnasts with a model of correct execution and to accompany it with technical instructions regarding the execution of the movement of that model.
Shouldn't punish female athletes with what female athletes should love? the swimming. The biggest punishment for the athlete should be not training. Only in this way does training become a source of creation, work and pleasant exhaustion.
A recent research paper.
In a research carried out by the Aquatics laboratory of the University of Athens TEFAA, 24 beginner synchronized swimmers aged 10-12 took part. The teaching included the position crane in the water. The athletes were divided into three groups and each group received different feedback. The types of feedback were: verbal (the coach's verbal instructions), visual (the athlete saw the execution of the position crane from another experienced athlete) and kinesthetic (positioning the body parts in the correct position).
In verbal feedback, instructions were clear and concise
Such as: right leg angle, horizontal leg deeper in water, body in line with vertical leg, stability. The evaluation of the athletes was done by three International judges before and after the training, which lasted 10 weeks. The average score of the judges was used to evaluate each athlete. After appropriate statistical processing of the data, it is shown that verbal feedback is more effective than visual and kinesthetic feedback for learning the crane position at a beginner level. This result is consistent with previous literature (Fitts, 1964) which recognizes three stages of motor skill acquisition. In particular, in the first stage of learning which Fitts calls the cognitive stage, the practitioner often converts motor information into mental information, i.e. he talks to himself as he tries to give commands to the muscles for a more correct execution. The coach's verbal commands appear to help enhance this process to produce a correct motor pattern.
This process of attempting to capture and correct the novice's error reveals the kinematic and motor elements that determine the skill being learned.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Fitts, PM 1964 Perceptual-motor learning. In AW Melton (ed) Categories of human learning (pp.243 285) New York: Academic Press.
Krebs, DE & D. Wolf Behr 1994 Biofeedback in Physical Rehabilitation Assessment and Treatment. In SB O Sullivan TJ Schmitz (Eds) pp.707 724 Philadelphia PA: FA Davis
Magill, RA 1994 The Influence of augmented feedback on skill learning depends on characteristics of the skill and the learner. Quest 46: 314-327
Rose DJ Motor learning and Motor Control. 1998 University Studio Press.
Sports Medicine Meets Synchronized Swimming NAGWS 1980 AAHPERD
Synchronized Swimming F. Yates TW. Anderson Second Edition 1958
Winstein CJ 1991 Knowledge of results and motor learning- Implications for physical therapy. Physical Therapy, 71 (2) 140-149
Hairopoulou Chrysoula, Synchronized swimming, Telethrion Publications 1997.
No Comments