Travel has been the best time for me to catch up on reading material. I have a habit of stockpiling books and articles that are interesting, only to find myself too busy to make a dent in the pile.
On my current trip, I was able to read through Nonlinear Pedagogy in Skill Acquisiton: An Introduction by Chow, Davids, Button, and Renshaw. With a background in computer science, I am naturally drawn to the objective elements of the game and coaching. The tactics of soccer are constantly evolving. We see this in the varied types of systems and styles of play that are deployed, a history of which is captured elegantly in Wilson (2013). How we teach the game – and its consitutent physical, technical, tactical, and psychological components – has also evolved. An understanding of the underlying theories associated with teaching, intra- and interpersonal systems behaviors, motor skill devleopment, emotional impact, and self-efficacy are important in the development and justification of best practice behaviors in the coaching environment.
Bunker and Thorpe (1982) introduced the idea of using games as a teaching method (Teaching Games for Understanding, or TGfU) in which the structure of the game – the environment and rules – lead the players to learn new skills. The application of small-sided games (SSGs) in soccer have been identified as a method of applying the TGfU concept. In Chow et al. (2016), describe the concept of a “representative learning design” – a learning structure that is representative of the objective (the full game of soccer) but provides opportunities for the players to develop skills within a constrained environment. The synergy with constraints-based learning approaches (c.f., Renshaw, Davids, Newcombe, & Roberts, 2019), TGfU, SSGs, and nonlinear pedagogy are interesting and relevant to coaching practitioners.
Many coaches perform activities based on how they were coached or taught (Chow et al., 2016). Having a deeper understanding of the theory and research behind learning validates best practices and provides a framework to develop new ideas and concepts within player devlelopment environments.
I plan to spend some time over the next week digging deeper into the details of nonlinear pedagogy, based on Chow et al. (2016) and other sources and post follow-on articles relating to common practices that I’ve observed and my experiences. Perhaps the most important initial takeaway is a need to reexamine how practice structures are defined – the efficacy of the “practice plan” format, current proposals on practice plan structures, and the behaviors that are being recommended for coaches.
References
Bunker, D., & Thorpe, R. (1982). A model for the teaching of games in the secondary school. Bulletin of Physical Education, 10, 9-16.
Chow, J. Y., Davids, K., Button, C., & Renshaw, I. (2016). Nonlinear pedagogy in skill acquisition. An Introduction. NY Routledge.
Renshaw, I., Davids, K., Newcombe, D., & Roberts, W. (2019). The Constraints-Led Approach: Principles for Sports Coaching and Practice Design. Routledge.
Wilson, J. (2013). Inverting the pyramid: the history of soccer tactics. Bold Type Books.
Travel has been the best time for me to catch up on reading material. I have a habit of stockpiling books and articles that are interesting, only to find myself too busy to make a dent in the pile.
On my current trip, I was able to read through Nonlinear Pedagogy in Skill Acquisiton: An Introduction by Chow, Davids, Button, and Renshaw. With a background in computer science,
I am naturally drawn to the objective elements of the game and coaching. The tactics of soccer are constantly evolving. We see this in the varied types of systems and styles of play that are deployed, a history of which is captured elegantly in Wilson (2013). How we teach the game – and its consitutent physical, technical, tactical, and psychological components – has also evolved. An understanding of the underlying theories associated with teaching, intra- and interpersonal systems behaviors, motor skill devleopment, emotional impact, and self-efficacy are important in the development and justification of best practice behaviors in the coaching environment.
Bunker and Thorpe (1982) introduced the idea of using games as a teaching method (Teaching Games for Understanding, or TGfU) in which the structure of the game – the environment and rules – lead the players to learn new skills. The application of small-sided games (SSGs) in soccer have been identified as a method of applying the TGfU concept. In Chow et al. (2016), describe the concept of a “representative learning design” – a learning structure that is representative of the objective (the full game of soccer) but provides opportunities for the players to develop skills within a constrained environment. The synergy with constraints-based learning approaches (c.f., Renshaw, Davids, Newcombe, & Roberts, 2019), TGfU, SSGs, and nonlinear pedagogy are interesting and relevant to coaching practitioners.
Many coaches perform activities based on how they were coached or taught (Chow et al., 2016). Having a deeper understanding of the theory and research behind learning validates best practices and provides a framework to develop new ideas and concepts within player devlelopment environments.
I plan to spend some time over the next week digging deeper into the details of nonlinear pedagogy, based on Chow et al. (2016) and other sources and post follow-on articles relating to common practices that I’ve observed and my experiences. Perhaps the most important initial takeaway is a need to reexamine how practice structures are defined – the efficacy of the “practice plan” format, current proposals on practice plan structures, and the behaviors that are being recommended for coaches.
References
Bunker, D., & Thorpe, R. (1982). A model for the teaching of games in the secondary school. Bulletin of Physical Education, 10, 9-16.
Chow, J. Y., Davids, K., Button, C., & Renshaw, I. (2016). Nonlinear pedagogy in skill acquisition. An Introduction. NY Routledge.
Renshaw, I., Davids, K., Newcombe, D., & Roberts, W. (2019). The Constraints-Led Approach: Principles for Sports Coaching and Practice Design. Routledge.
Wilson, J. (2013). Inverting the pyramid: the history of soccer tactics. Bold Type Books.