brochure_communicationCommunicating in other sports

The next part of my project can be broken down into different topics, which I shall report over a few updates. This part of the project will look over some of the communication techniques and methods talked about in the previous updates about learning and coaching.

“C) How are the skills you have talked about transferable between sports, work/education, and socially?”

In this update I shall explore how we transfer these skills into other sports.

As martial arts are sports, most of the communication skills used in it can be used in the same way in other sports. I have recently finished my sports leaders level 1 course at school, where we have learned the necessary skills to referee and teach sports. Other sports use lots of communication, from the play, to the learning and coaching. When teaching sport we have to use verbal and non verbal communication.

Depending on where you are teaching, you have to project your voice so you are able to be heard by everyone you are instructing to, so they don’t misunderstand what you are telling them. This is like this in martial arts too. A major aspect is how you communicate through a warm up for example, as everyone is moving and if you are outside for a lesson projection can be difficult if there is wind; projection and clarity is key.

As I have previously said, communication is as much non verbal as it is verbal. We have been recently been playing Badminton in PE for the past few weeks; learning the different shots will be extremely difficult without watching a demonstration. Also our teacher involves some of his students in the demonstration, allowing them to experience firsthand how to do something hands on, as some people prefer. In all sports I think 50% of learning and teaching is done by watching and explaining as this is the easiest way for us to learn or teach. This satisfies the different ways people can learn.

Team sports use the same techniques for communication was team elements in martial arts, such as team kata. There always has to be a leader to follow, but you have to follow the team as well. Teams have to communicate with each other whether it is verbal in volleyball or football, or non-verbally following each other’s or the leader’s queues in team katas or performance sports.

When learning any sport, in order to improve you have to receive feedback and advice from your peers and your coach as well. In order to improve our kicks in martial arts our coaches give as tips on how to change our techniques. In order to improve our kick in football or shoot in basketball or swing in golf we get people to look at what we are doing and they give us feedback on how to improve. Also when learning any sport your communication needs to be clear and you need to coach in a way in which everyone is able to understand, but as well as this the person learning needs to be able to communicate effectively, otherwise the teacher won’t know if they are taking in what they are teaching. I believe this essential for teachers to check with their students in all sports that they understand.

My next update will continue the transferring of these skills and how we use them in education or at work.