Consideration of the Cognitive Process of Players in Sprint Direction Change Movement

Abstract

In ball games such as basketball and volleyball, sprint is an important physical skill. In recent years, players are required to not only run fast but also master the skill of sprint direction change movement. Players must repeatedly come to a complete stop from deceleration and restart in any direction to respond to an opponent’s movements. Thus, whether players can come to complete stop quickly, change direction promptly, and accelerate explosively can affect their performance. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the cognitive processes involved in mastering the skill of sprint direction change movement in basketball. Participants were the seven students on the women’s basketball club at M University, and the survey period was August 29 to November 30, 2020. We collected data on how participants felt and thought after making each sprint direction change movement using Google Forms. Our analysis showed that players with skill acquisition displayed a tendency of having several elements related to practical application. In comparison, the player without skill acquisition had many elements related to movements of the legs and hip joint and center of gravity movement and position, while having few elements related to practical application.