Speed
"Speed is the ability to perform a particular movement very rapidly."¹

In almost every sport, the speed of the sportsman and sportswoman is an important criteria for performance. In soccer, football, hockey and many other sports, speed allows oneself to demark from his opponent. In a way, it is the symbol of success for the sportsman and sportswoman.

Power
"Power is the ability to generate great amounts of force against a certain resistance in a short period of time."¹

Power is a combination of strength and speed. For example, the running back in football when he hits the linebacker makes the most of his power by using both his speed and his strength. In tennis, baseball and golf, power is also used to strike the ball. Power is an element required in many sports.

Agility
"Agility is the ability to change or alter, quickly and accurately, the direction of body movement during activity."¹

It goes without saying that agility is an important element in sport. We just have to think of the soccer player who dribbles in diverse directions and the hockey player who controls the puck and feints his adversary from the left to the right. This goes as well for basketball, football and handball player.

Agility depends a lot on neuromuscular coordination (to be conscious of one’s surroundings) and on the reaction time of each person (to react rapidly to the external stimulus). Agility can be improved by a training which touched these two physical elements: muscular strength (greater strength of the muscles of the legs, arms, abdominals, etc.) and flexibility (more fluid movement). Agility exercises, such as the Greek dance (crossing the legs), allows one to improve this ability.

Neuromuscular coordination
"Neuromuscular coordination is the ability to integrate the senses (visual, auditory and proprioceptive meaning knowing the position of your body in space) with motor function to produce accurate and skilled movement."¹

For example, the wide receiver in football demonstrates great neuromuscular coordination when he catches the ball in the air. Indeed, he must have a good concentration while being conscious of his position in space.

By repeating many times the same exercises, neuromuscular coordination develops. This improvement allows one to be more skilful in the sports related to the exercises done.

Balance
"Balance is the ability to maintain some degree of equilibrium while moving or standing still."¹

Gymnastics is definitely the sport which represents the best this ability. Many other sports require equilibrium, for example, football and judo.

We can develop this ability by standing balanced on a board or simply on one leg.

Reaction time
"Reaction time is the time required to produce an appropriate and accurate physiological or mechanical response to some external stimulus."¹

The more we do reaction exercises, the better our time to react will be to the external stimulus. The 100 meter sprinter improves his reaction time by practicing numerous times his starts.

Conclusion
By developing the physical elements appropriate to your sport, you will become more effective in the sport that you practice.

1. The definitions of the six elements to develop to be effective in sport were taken, and adapted, from the book Fitness for college and life by William E. Prentice.