Technical Excellence

Abstract

When we think of agility, we think of efficiency of movement and an ability to change direction in the face of a complex and changing terrain all in the pursuit of a specific goal. Usain Bolt running 100 meters in 9.58 seconds is impressive, but it isn’t an expression of agility. Lionel Messi, on the other hand, weaving in and out of a lattice of defenders while keeping the soccer ball constantly under his influence is more like it. Agility requires quick movement for sure, but it also requires the behaviors that allow us to do this without distraction (Messi doesn’t walk onto the pitch with his bootlaces undone); it requires the mobility, or dexterity, to manipulate the environment or change course while maintaining stability; it requires the awareness and presence of mind to read the shifting terrain and environment in real time to anticipate and adjust without missing a step.