PDFE #3

                On Saturday, September 18, 2010 I watched a televised college football game.  Florida played Tennessee at Tennessee at 3:30 p.m. 

                Reaction Times:  An example of a lag in reaction time during the football game is when the ball is snapped.  Say Florida is playing offense and Tennessee is defense.  When Florida’s center snaps the ball there is a lag in reaction time for Tennessee’s defense to respond that the ball is in play.  At this level of competition the players’ reaction time is very low.  The defense must be able to quickly decide how to play the play, whether the offense will run the ball or throw it.  The players have split seconds to decide how they want to stop the offense, or if they can intercept a ball.

                Hick’s Law:  An example of Hick’s law during the game can be seen when the offense gets off the start line and runs through the defense’s line to go for a long throw.  The defender doesn’t know if the offense is going to do a running or passing play so they have a slight hesitation in movement.  On one play the defense that was guarding an offense player made a move towards the line of scrimmage but then had a hesitation while he waited to see which way the offense player would go.  This hesitation gave the offense player, who had no hesitation, time to maneuver through and run down field for the play.

                Psychological Refractory Period:  An example of this in the game is the pump fake that the quarterback does.  The defensive player thought that the QB was going to throw the ball before he actually did.  This caused the defense player to change his directed path and go in the other direction only to find that the QB if faking and he had to run in his original direction to pursue the play.

                Anticipation: An inaccurate anticipation happened when a defensive player move over the line of scrimmage before the ball was hiked.  He knew what would happen when the center snapped the ball, the play would begin and his job begins.  He anticipated, wrongly, when the snap would occur and this caused him to be offsides.

PDFE #2

     This week I observed a Women’s Equestrina Team Western lesson. This is a group lesson with five western riders in the arena along the rail with coach Margaret Knight giving instruction in the lesson. This activity was held at the Gunby Equestrian Center on Berry College’s campus at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 8th, 2010. The five riders participating in the lesson were Emmalee, Allie, Danielle, Chelsea, and Kristin. Each of these riders competes at a different level of riding so the lesson is composed of a very diverse group of riders and skill levels.


     One-Dimension System: Riding is a unique type of motor movement because it not only includes the rider’s motions but also the horses’. As a whole – horse and rider – the fundamental movement includes the unit moving in a forward direction along the rail. Horseback riding in general requires high levels of stability. The rider is trying to maintain a certain position while the horse is in motion. Doing so requires core stability as well as leg stability. The rider must remain in an upright position no matter what speed the horse is moving. The riders are using both gross and fine muscle groups for movement. Gross muscle groups were being used as the riders are stabilizing their core muscles to sit up straight in the saddle and maintain position. Fine muscle groups that they are using are their finger movements. As they are riding their coach is yelling instruction about improvements to make and this sometimes requires them to make minute adjustments to the horses reins. During the lesson the riders fluctuate from performing serial and continuous skills. When they are along the rail they are performing a continuous skill that has no definite beginning or end. A serial skill that they perform is when they do a reining pattern in the middle of the arena. When the lesson is on the rail only the rider has limited decision making to do, the arena has a set path for the rider to travel sot the rider only has to make a decision about the direction to go, which they are told by their coach. Their cognitive motor elements are increased when they have to perform a pattern in the arena. Although they do not make up the pattern on their own, they are required to remember the pattern and through little adjustments make the horse perform the pattern. The environment is moderately predictable in the fact that the arena is constant. The only element of unpredictability is the one that puts this activity on the high end of the open environment predictability, the horse. Riding a horse is always unpredictable because they are animal and they are very unpredictable.

     Two-Dimension System:

          Singing in the car – body stationary, object manipulation, environmental variation, context variation

          Dancing – body transport, no object manipulation, context variation, environment variation

          Taking notes – body stationary, object manipulation, no context variation, no environmental variation

          Shooting a jump shot – body transport, object manipulation, environmental variation, no context variation

PDFE #1

     I observed an hour of the Berry College Women’s Equestrian team try outs. It was held at 5:30 on Friday, August 27th at the Gunby Equestrian Center on Mountain Campus at Berry College. Margaret Knight is the Equestrian Team coach and she over saw the try-outs with assistance from some of the girls on the team. This try-out was for the western team and 10 girls tried out in two different groups, each group having 5 girls on horses in the ring at one time. The purpose of this activity was to demonstrate horsemanship in an attempt to become part of Berry’s Equestrian Team. I chose to observe in this setting because I enjoy horses and love to watch how different people have learned to ride.

     The activity is set up to be as safe as possible when dealing with the inherent risks of horses. All participants have on closed toed shoes, jeans and a helmet along with an experienced team member to help them with the horse if something were to happen and they lost control. The participants are actively engaged in the activity with their entire bodies. Many people tend to think of riding horses as just sitting there, but in reality a rider must use their entire body to ride the horse properly and safely. While riding, riders are using their core to hold their upper body still, their arms to hold the horse and their lower body to maintain balance and control. Calves are being squeezed, abs are held tight and while movements are not overt they are very taxing subtle movements. Each participant has a different level of riding ability and it is apparent in the amount they they are moving on top of the horse.
     The riders are attempting to enhance movement. Some are instructed to hold their leg closer to the horse while others are instructed to change the angle of their hip. This is for the more advanced riders who are already aware of these movements but need refreshers, or pointers on how to do something better or correct. The beginners are learning movement skills. They are learning how to push their heels down mainly, which shifts their weight making it easier to ride.
     This activity had varying level of experienced rider. Since it was a try-out it did not focus on teaching and practicing new skills, but was rather a display of potential skill. Because of this I do believe that the activity was appropriate for all students who were there because they were aware of what the activity entailed.
     If I were in charge of the activity I would a lot more time for each individual. During the try-outs there are 5 riders in the ring at once and another group waiting so not everyone can get the attention that they made have needed, although this is sort of how try-outs work. Even though this activity was a high pressure situation and riders were trying to make a team, they appeared to be having a good time, which could be contributed to the atmosphere that surrounds horses.