Specialized sports skills categories

The current classification of specialized sports skills commonly used in domestic sports training academic circles and sports management fields is mainly divided into three core categories: physical fitness-oriented, skill-oriented, and comprehensive confrontation. In addition, there are dozens of subdivision classification standards based on sports scenes and participating groups. Different schools still have disputes over the classification of some marginal projects.

The physical fitness-oriented category is the one with the highest consensus among all classification systems. The core evaluation criterion is the athlete's ability to break through physiological limits. To put it bluntly, it is about physical talent and special physical reserves. You can think of 100 meters, weightlifting, marathons, and race walking all in this category. In the past, for students who took physical exams, the first thing we looked at when applying for such events was their innate conditions, such as the stride length and Achilles tendon length of 100-meter runners, and the waist-to-hip ratio of weightlifters. Talent accounted for more than 60%. Training is more about helping them realize their talents. Old coaches often say that in such events, "God rewards them with food." It is not unreasonable. However, scholars from the sports cognition school have raised objections in the past two years, saying that marathon actually involves a lot of pace strategies and supply rhythm choices, and cannot be completely regarded as purely physical-dominated. Most of the old coaches of the traditional training school do not agree with this statement - I previously chatted with the coach of the provincial team's middle and long-distance running team, and he said, "No matter how fast you pace, it will be useless if your cardiopulmonary ability cannot keep up. The core is physical fitness." Both sides are reasonable. The essence is to look at whether the purpose of classification is to engage in scientific research or practical training.

In contrast to the physical fitness-oriented category, there are skill-oriented categories that require movement accuracy and muscle memory stability. Archery, gymnastics, figure skating, and diving all fall into this category. I went to the figure skating team to do research before, and I saw a 12-year-old team member falling on the same move for almost three months in order to practice a double jump. He repeated it hundreds of times a day. What he was practicing was the accuracy of muscle memory. He might have fallen if he missed the landing by just 1 centimeter. The threshold for talent in this type of event is much lower. As long as there are no big problems with coordination, it can be achieved through a lot of repeated training. I know an archery enthusiast who used to practice archery while sitting in an office because of his shoulder and neck problems. After practicing for three years, he won the provincial amateur championship. His cardiopulmonary and explosive power are very average, and he only developed the feel through two hours of stance and release practice every day. The controversy here is also quite interesting, such as billiards and shooting. Some classification systems classify them as skill-based, while others separate them and classify them as "precision categories." Some people think that snooker involves psychological games between players and should be considered a confrontation category. There is no unified conclusion yet.

The category with the widest audience and the greatest controversy is the comprehensive confrontation category. The core is that two or more parties defeat their opponents through the comprehensive use of strategies, skills, and physical fitness within the scope of the rules. Basketball, football, badminton, and table tennis that everyone often plays are all in this category. The ability dimensions of this type of event are particularly diverse. Badminton and table tennis on the other side of the net require less physical confrontation and require more skills and reactions. Football and basketball on the same field also require physical confrontation and teamwork. I usually play basketball with friends on weekends and often encounter uncles who are out of breath after running two steps. I rely on experience and passing awareness to win over young people like us. The most controversial thing in the past two years is the classification of e-sports. In 2023, the General Administration of Sports officially listed e-sports as an official competition and classified it into the comprehensive confrontation category. However, many traditional sports scholars feel that e-sports does not consume enough physical energy and is not considered a serious sport. I watched the Asian Games video a while ago According to the physiological monitoring data of competitive events, the heart rate of top players can reach over 160 during a match. A BO7 match consumes no less energy than a badminton singles match. In fact, to put it bluntly, the core of the controversy is that everyone has different definitions of "sports" and has little to do with the classification standards themselves.

Two years ago, I helped the community make a course selection guide for national fitness. At that time, I was still debating whether to strictly follow the official classification. Later, I found that it was not necessary at all - it doesn’t matter what category you are in for ordinary people, as long as it is fun and can exercise. The essence of classification is to serve professional scenarios: for example, when selecting young people, physical fitness-oriented items will first test bone age and maximum oxygen uptake, skill-oriented items will first test coordination and concentration, and comprehensive confrontation items will also test teamwork and reaction ability. Only when the classification is accurate can the efficiency of talent selection be improved. As a fun aside, last time a friend who played Frisbee asked me what type of Frisbee it was. I checked several classification standards but couldn't find a unified answer. Official competitions classify it as a comprehensive confrontation category, while most folk games consider it a leisure sport. Some Ultimate Frisbee events classify it as a physical fitness-oriented category. In fact, as long as it suits the current usage scenario, it can be classified in any way.

In fact, the classification of special sports skills has never been a dead standard. From the earliest time when Teacher Tian Maijiu proposed the Xiangqun Theory in 1984 to the present, the classification standards have been changed many times, and they will definitely change in the future. After all, there are more and more new sports, and classification is originally intended to serve people, not to frame them. If you really like sports, it doesn’t matter what category it belongs to, as long as you can sweat and be happy.