Anatomy and Physiology was probably the unit I found most interesting in this class. It was what I believe I took this class to learn about – the body and how it works with itself during physical activity. I liked learning all of the muscles and bones and what they do while working with each other. This was helpful for within my workouts. I know what muscle is where, and which exercise will work which area. As for football, this unit could help me know which parts of my body will be used when I do specific actions while playing. I think this unit will play a role in making me realize what football is – a test of your body and how well you can control it. I know which ways to land, and what parts of my body to push of hit with to best protect myself. The biggest realization I’ve had, which stems from this unit, is that I can improve my grip strength to become a better receiver and catch more securely.
Human Performance will have the biggest impact on how I train. This unit was interesting in the sense it discussed energy systems and what energy we use for what activity. I learned more about creatine in our bodies and how it works for us. Creatine was a mystery to me before this class – but I discovered it is actually an essential part of short bursts of intense work (which is exactly what football and weight training is). The knowledge of what our muscles use for energy and how some people take advantage of this by abusing it will help me train smart. The nutritional aspect of this unit has also impacted how I eat, which is way healthier than I used to. This unit may have been the most helpful for me in relationship to my training and performance.
Learning about Motor Development didn’t have so much impact or interest for me than the other units. The main thing I took from this unit however, is that proper form in physical activities is key from a young age. Improper form leads to injury, so the younger we can learn correct movements the better. This has stayed with me in my training as well. My brother has started training recently – and improved quite a lot very fast – and he comes to me for advice on form. The knowledge from this unit has given me good insight on proper ways to help him out, as well as that his good form is critical. This unit won’t so much help me, but it definitely has helped my brother in his pursuit of physical dominance.
Looking into the Evolution of Sports brought me to realize just how much the game I play has changed, is changing, and probably will still continue to change. The most interesting part of this is it helps explains why athletes are becoming so much more dominant and breaking records left and right. Technology is everywhere in football. The cleats we wear to the gloves we catch with, to the helmets protecting our brains. new techniques for training have even come up, which help all athletes to reach even higher standards than ever before. I have a much greater respect and pride for my cleats and gloves, two components of the game which make us players perform so much better.
Lastly, looking into the Relationship of Society in our sporting world was quite intriguing. I realized the sport I love isn’t even all about the sport anymore. When it gets to the most elite players, the pros, it turns into a game of money where you play your best to earn cash, not be the best at what you love. It also helped explain the politics involved in sports – why do we have to know someone high in the football community in order to even get a shot at playing? This has brought me to realize I can’t just hope for the best – I MUST work as hard as possible, and work even harder while people are watching.
I really enjoyed this course overall. It gave me a great foundation of basic knowledge to build off of and pursue any future within the field of kinesiology. Thanks Mrs Leibel!!
Jordan's Exercise Science Blog 