Balance and Agility

Abstract

Together with capacities such as speed, power, strength and flexibility, the coordination of muscle actions by the central nervous system plays a vital role in successful athletic performance. The ability to accurately coordinate the timing and contraction strength of skeletal muscles is essential in the related capacities of balance and agility. While both are modified by the physical structure of an athlete and may be affected by technique, balance and agility rely heavily on the development of neuromuscular control. According to Tittle (1988), this is particularly important for technical acrobatics sports such as gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, diving and figure skating, as well as for such activities as swimming, wrestling, fencing, boxing and ball games. In addition to neuromuscular control, agility also depends on a player’s cognitive ability to read the game situation in team sports, such as football, hockey, basketball and netball.