Individual Differences

• Physical prime reached in 20s
• Flexibility, strength and cardiovascular endurance decrease with age
• Skills can improve with experience

• High in teens but decrease with age
• Combine with tendency to put on weight, reducing flexibility
• E.g. in gymnastics athletes compete internationally at 12 but retired by 20

• Strength decreases as we get older
• Young people not reach maximum strength until fully grown in late teens/early 20s
• E.g. weight training not suggested for certain ages

• Reduces with age as heart becomes less efficient
• Arteries lose elasticity, increasing blood pressure and reducing blood flow
• HR decreases approx. 1 beat per min per year from mid 20s

• Improve with age as experience gained
• Improve as we grow and get stronger

• The older you get the longer it takes to recover from injuries
• More chance of suffering from disorders and diseases
• Gradual build up of wear and tear on body

• Not be safe or fair for younger less developed performers to compete against older, more physically mature performers
• Not apply to all sports and there is some flexibility as some develop more quickly and lack of contact in some sports
• School sport in year groups
• Major sports competeitions around age but soe flexibility to play older competitions
• Not common in contact sports

Body shape, size and physique generally different in men and women

• Women have lower oxygen carrying capacity than men
• Difference of up to 43%

• Release of testosterone means boys have longer bones and muscles
• Women have less total muscle mass
• Maximal strength difference of up to 40-50%

• Women have less muscle mass so tend to be more flexible

• Girls mature faster
• Competition between young males and females can be fair
• From age of 11 males start to overtake in terms of height and strength
• Sport tends to be single sex after this age
• Females menstruate and suffer hormonal imbalance can disadvantage females during period

• Women have been seen as weaker sex
• Not allowed to compete in distance races at Olympics until 1960
• Traditional male sport = football
• Traditional female sport = netball
• Religion
• historically fewer opportunities for women

• Born with
• Can influence body composition and musculature but height and weight are preordained
• Body type means you are particularly suited to specific sports

• Pear shaped
• Wide hips
• Wide shoulders
• Tendency to gain fat
• Short legs in relation to trunk
• Front of scrum in rugby

• Wedge shaped
• Broad-wide shoulders
• Muscled arms and legs
• Narrow hips
• Minimum amount of fat
• Sprinters and swimmers

• Prodominately long, slender and thin
• Narrow shoulders and hips
• Thin arms and legs
• Very little body fat or muscle
• High jump and marathon runner

• Improve image and awareness
• Overcome fear
• Feeling of satisfaction and wellbeing
• Experience success
• Achieve a target or goal
• Achieve something never attempted
• Stimulation and to relieve boredom
• Improve body composition

• Identify possible risks/hazards associated with an activity
• outline precautions taken to minimise or eliminate risk

• Every effort made by participants and those in charge to ensure that the activity continues in a safe manner once risk assessment has been carried out
• Check equipment, playing areas and participants
• ensure rules are followed
• Balanced and fair competition
• Ensure organisers and officials are qualified
• Warm-up and cool down
• First aid equipment available

An activity that involves some form of contest, rivalry or game

Demands:

• County or international players dedicate a lot of time
• Physically demanding
• Highly committed
• Dedicate time to the activity
• Dedicated time to physical training

Any form of play, amusement or relaxation performed as games, sports or hobbies

Demands:

• More suited to adults with full time jobs and less time
• Less physically demanding
• Not as demanding (commitment)
• At a convenient time for you
• No special preparation or training

• Needed to improve and maintain levels of fitness
• Needed to improve skills and tactics
• Finding time can be difficult
• Training for Olympics everyday

• More funds can mean improvements:
  • Easier to pay for training
  • Afford better equipment/training facilities
  • Afford specialist training
• Certain athletes look for sponsorship