Abstract
In contemporary coaching, verbal augmented information (feedback and instruction) is a prevalent yet inefficiently used tool by coaches to improve athlete behavior. Coaches often fail to consider the intricate dynamics of their sport or how effectively they can use augmented information to guide athletes in discovering their own adaptable movement solutions. Typically, feedback is delivered either concurrently (i.e. during an action) or terminally (i.e. after an action) in the form of error correction to prescribe an optimal movement template which should be replicated by the athlete. The aim of this paper is to address the nuanced, complex, and dynamic nature of football, drawing from an ecological dynamics rationale to help coaches become more effective in their use of verbal augmented information transitionally. I propose a Transitional Learning Model (TLM) to prevent footballers from becoming dependent on augmented information, instead helping them develop the relevant skills and capacities to explore practice and game environments for their own functional and adaptable solutions. By using a TLM, coaches provide clues by setting challenges and asking questions, priming athletes to attune to affordances in their environment. This approach allows athletes to explore and experiment, interacting with their surroundings to form their own adaptable movement solutions. TLM can be applied concurrently or terminally, with transitional information guiding the athletes’ search activities for their next action in the performance landscape. To support athlete learning, the TLM requires further verification in practice through action-based research designs, ethnographic studies, and intervention studies.
Presenters
Gerard JonesDirector of Coaching, Sporting City North, Youth Department - SKC Academy Affiliate, Sporting Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
KEYWORDS
Football, Soccer coaching, Feedback, Transitional Learning, Augmented Information
