The value of self-reflection cannot be underestimated in development environments. UK Sports Head of Coaching, Nick Levett shares his thoughts on the benefits of the reflection process. One of the crucial elements of a high quality learning environment is the importance of reflection. In order to learn more about the players and their reflection skills, here are a few reflective questions for the players to consider at the end of the practice session or game. These can be delivered and linked in a variety of…
pedagogy
Warren Grieve is an AFC Pro License holder and Technical Director at Football NSW in Australia. In this interview, PDP Editor, Dave Wright sits down with Warren to talk coach education, learning environments and more. This conversation covers a range of topics including: This is an insightful discussion for developing coaches, particularly those who have an interest in pursuing formal courses and qualifications. Image Credits: Unsplash
PDP Lead Researcher James Vaughan highlights recent experiences adapting to new environments to discuss the research around affordances, forms of life and scorpion kicks. At PDP we often talk about the importance of the player development environment. We encourage coaches, clubs and parents to take a holistic view – a view that considers the immediate and long-term influence of cultures, societies, organisational structures and global systems. However as well as this zoomed out view, a holistic approach also incorporates a deep appreciation of the environment. The…
Game sense, how do we develop it? PE Teacher & regular PDP contributor, Sporticus shares his innovative approach to PE and helping his students develop skill and game understanding in cricket through realistic scenarios, interactions and guided discovery. As a department we have over timed moved away from ‘sport as sports technique’ method of teaching sports within our curriculum to ‘sport as tactical concepts’. This is in the belief that: The game sets the context of learning and gives that learning some meaning. Play is…
Renshaw, Duarte Araujo, Chris Button, Jia Yi Chow, Keith Davids, and Brendan Moy The Big Idea First off, let’s set the context for this commentary paper. As is the norm in most any profession, there are both historical and continuing aspects to its practice. In the profession of teaching physical education, such is the case. Two of the more popular approaches are Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) and the Constraints-Led Approach (CLA). Of the two, TGfU is older, having its origins in the 1960s. TGfU…
How important is adaptability and context in your coaching approach? UEFA A licensed coach, Dan Wright discusses the idea of creating a flexible framework for players to explore and how coaching is never black or white. Coaches like principles when teaching the game, they are a quick and straightforward way to transfer your understanding of the game to your players, but are they dangerous? A few weeks ago, I posted a tweet which discussed a scenario around the passing options of a fullback in a…
How does a teacher or coach transition to a learner-centric view where you can allow the learner to explore and develop within the environment? Co-founder of Myfastestmile, Mark Upton reflects on how coaches can facilitate this process. The image below appeared on my twitter timeline a couple of times today… It prompted retrieval of one of my favourite passages on teaching/learning… “Teaching is, in some ways, a myth. The greatest skill is learned, more than it is taught. And the great teacher realizes…
Mark Upton, Co-founder of myfastestmile continues his discussion on learning dynamics. Mark outlines the challenges and benefits that come with the concept of self-organising and understanding what you can & can’t control in coaching. “When I explain complexity theory to my old Mum, she looks at me quizzically and says, ‘Isn’t that common sense, dear?’” In a recent post on Learning Dynamics I covered how patterns of behaviour emerge due to interactions between people in a system (or at a different scale of analysis, interactions…
How does a coach help a player maximise their return on training? Todd Beane, Founder of TOVO Institute & regular PDP contributor discusses the value in prioritising learning and maximising training time to get the most out of every session. Wouldn’t you want to maximize the return on the investment of your time and energy? As a teacher, wouldn’t you want to know that you are using every hour afforded to you to maximize learning? As a coach, wouldn’t you want your training to bring about…
Expert researcher and PDP contributor, Mark Upton of myfastestmile discusses the 7 principles of non linear pedagogy. Mark examines how to create an ideal environment for players to focus on task mastery using a constraints approach. How do players best learn to select & control their actions to meet the demands of a dynamic environment as found in football/rugby/hockey/basketball/netball etc? To help answer this question, below are my interpretations of the key principles from Chow’s (2013) notion of a Nonlinear Pedagogy. Considered through the lens of 15…
Skill acquisition specialist, Mark Upton, helps us navigate the complex mix of variables that every young player experiences throughout their development. The way in which each player perceives these events can lead to very different results – some will be stifled by the experience, while others will go on to become the future superstars of our game. In the backyard of an Australian home, a young boy tries to chip a football over a small pond and into his mini- goal on the other side….