I like to think of it like this:
Brain - receives info, coordinates a response to it.
Spinal cord - sends info to the brain and carries instructions from the brain.
Autonomic - managing all involuntary movement through MOG (muscles organs glands).
Somatic - voluntary movement.
Sympathetic - arousing
Parasympathetic - cooling down
E.g. I'm playing basketball. When I see a teammate looking to pass the ball, sensory info (where the ball is and how it looks) is detected by the somatic nervous system --> spinal cord relays msg to the brain --> the brain decides to change hand position to receive the catch --> sends instructions down the spinal cord to skeletal muscles in the somatic nervous system.
During the game, the sympathetic nervous system would be dominant to energise my body. After the game, it is likely to be parasympathetic, as that would help restore the body to normal levels of functioning.
