Skills Related to Fitness

Skilled athletes typically excel in all six areas. 

• Agility is the ability to rapidly and accurately change the direction of the body. Agility is important in sports such as tennis which requires players to change direction quickly to hit the ball.
• Balance is the ability to control or stabilize the body when a person is standing still or moving. Balance is important in sports such as dance, gymnastics, ice hockey, figure skating, and other sports requiring extreme control.
• Coordination is the ability to use the senses together with body parts in order to perform motor tasks smoothly and accurately. Coordination is important in activities such as dribbling a basketball, juggling, and is also vital for sports involving hitting objects. 
• Speed is the ability to move your body or parts of your body swiftly. It is the amount of time it takes the body to perform specific tasks. Many sports rely on speed to gain advantage over your opponents. Sprinters, cyclists, soccer players, and swimmers are among the many athletes that rely on speed.
• Power is the ability to move the body parts swiftly while applying the maximum force of the muscles. Power is a combination of both speed and muscular strength. Fullbacks in football use power to muscle their way through other players to advance the ball. Other activities that require power include shot put, a volleyball serve, and a basketball dunk.
• Reaction Time is the ability to reach or respond quickly to what you hear, see, or feel. An athlete quickly coming off the blocks early in a swimming or track relay, or stealing a base in baseball needs quick reaction time.