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AQA GCSE · Question 18 · The Human Body and Movement in Physical Activity and Sport

Evaluate whether the Illinois Agility Test is more relevant to a netball player than to a 200m runner.

How to approach this question

This is an evaluation question. You need to make a judgement and support it with evidence. 1. **Introduction:** State your overall judgement clearly (e.g., 'The test is much more relevant for a netball player'). 2. **Analyse for Netball Player:** Describe the Illinois Agility Test's movements. Explain how these movements (sprinting, weaving, turning) are essential in a game of netball. Use the term 'validity'. 3. **Analyse for 200m Runner:** Describe the primary fitness components for a 200m runner (e.g., speed, power). Explain why the movements in the Illinois test are not relevant to their event. Suggest a more appropriate test for them. 4. **Conclusion:** Summarise your points and reaffirm your initial judgement.

Full Answer

To evaluate the relevance of the Illinois Agility Test, we must compare its demands to the demands of each sport. **Relevance to a Netball Player:** The Illinois Agility Test involves sprinting, turning 180 degrees, and weaving in and out of cones. These actions are highly specific to the game of netball. - **Dodging:** A netball player constantly needs to change direction to evade a defender and get free to receive a pass. The weaving section of the test simulates this. - **Marking:** When defending, a player must mirror their opponent's movements, requiring rapid changes of direction. - **Game Play:** The entire game is played on a small court, demanding continuous acceleration, deceleration, and turning. Because the test's movement patterns closely replicate those used in the game, it is a **highly valid** test of agility for a netball player. **Relevance to a 200m Runner:** A 200m race is a maximal sprint over a set distance, with one bend. - **Primary Component:** The key component is speed, not agility. The athlete runs in a designated lane and does not need to react to opponents or dodge obstacles. - **Movement Pattern:** The movement is almost entirely in the sagittal plane (linear running). While running the bend requires some control, it does not involve the sharp, multi-directional movements of the Illinois test. - **Validity:** The test would be an **invalid** measure of a 200m runner's performance capability. A more relevant test would be a 30-metre sprint test to assess acceleration and maximal speed, or a 300m sprint to test speed endurance. **Conclusion:** The Illinois Agility Test is significantly more relevant for a netball player because it directly assesses the specific type of agility that is fundamental to success in the sport. For a 200m runner, the test is largely irrelevant as it does not measure their primary component of fitness, which is linear speed.

Common mistakes

Simply describing the test without linking it to the sports. Not making a clear judgement or comparison between the two athletes.

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