The aim of this study was to examine differences between experts and novices in a number of perceptual abilities. Three groups of elite athletes, 44 members of Greek national teams in basketball (n = 12), volleyball (n = 13), and water-polo (n = 19) were selected. Two groups of physical education students (ns = 18 and 21) were novices. The measured abilities were selected as the most important for an elite athlete by expert coaches in the three sports. The four most frequently selected abilities for each sport, according to the coaches' opinions, were finally assessed. Analysis showed that differences were fewer than expected. Basketball experts were better on prediction and selective attention. Volleyball experts performed better on perceptual speed, focused attention, prediction, and estimation of speed and direction of a moving object. Water-polo players had significantly better scores than the novices on decision-making, visual reaction time, and spatial orientation. It seems that the nature of each sport strongly influences the way perceptual abilities differentiate elite athletes from novices.
Based on the notion of measuring motor performance, an experiment with three groups of 20 elite rhythmic gymnasts (N = 60), 9 to 10 yr., 11 to 12 yr., and 13 to 15 years of age (national level), with children of the same size and age was conducted, to identify the important abilities for the achievement of excellence in this sport. Motor abilities (whole-body coordination, dynamic balance, static balance, sense of kinesthesis, whole-body movement time, and eye-hand coordination) as well as perceptual abilities (whole-body reaction time, anticipation of coincidence, and depth perception) were compared. Analysis showed that scores on measures of whole-body coordination, dynamic balance, and static balance were higher for elite groups of athletes than for corresponding control groups. Moreover, elite athletes in the oldest group scored higher than those in the youngest group on anticipation of coincidence, on eye-hand coordination, and on static balance. These findings indicate the presence of systematic differences between elite athletes and nonathletes on motor abilities related to experience in this sport.
The differences among athletes of differing skill should assist successful identification and selection of the best athletes in a specific sport. For the purpose of this study, a laboratory study was conducted with a group of 13 men on the elite male national team of basketball players, 22 to 23 years of age, and a control group of 15 men of equal age (physical education class) to assess differences in their scores on cognitive skills (memory-retention, memory-grouping analytic ability), perceptual skills (speed of perception, prediction, selective attention, response selection), and motor skills (dynamic balance, whole body coordination, wrist-finger dexterity, rhythmic ability). Analysis showed that elite male basketball players scored higher on hand coordination and lower on dynamic balance given their anthropometric measurements. Elite players were better on memory-retention, selective attention, and on prediction measures than the control group. The above skills are important in basketball performance. Researchers may examine whether other factors contribute more in the development of perceptual and cognitive skills.
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