Abstract: Under the background of the rapid development of higher vocational education and higher junior college education (hereinafter referred to as higher vocational colleges) in the new period, physical education not only undertakes the task of strengthening students'physique and cultivating healthy exercise habits, but also undertakes the mission of cultivating applied talents to meet the development of modern society and the needs of industries. Combining sports training with vocational skills is an effective way to reform physical education in higher vocational colleges. On the basis of expounding the theoretical background and practical significance of the combination of sports training and vocational skills, this paper discusses its application strategies in physical education teaching in higher vocational colleges from the aspects of teaching content optimization, teaching model innovation, teacher team construction and evaluation system improvement. The research shows that by combining sports training with vocational skills, it can better meet the needs of students'future career development, improve students'physical quality, professional accomplishment and comprehensive ability, which is of great significance to promoting the quality of higher vocational education.

Key words: Higher vocational college, Physical education teaching, Sports training, Vocational skills, Teaching reform, Personnel training