APPLIED COACHING RESEARCH JOURNAL 2021 , Vol . 7
Understanding How Athletes Learn : Integrating Skill Training Concepts , Theory and Practice from an Ecological Perspective
Fabian W . Otte 1 , Keith Davids 2 , Sarah-Kate Millar 3 , & Stefanie Klatt 1 , 4
1
German Sport University Cologne 2 Sheffield Hallam University
3
Auckland University of Technology 4 University of Rostock
© ALPA PROD / Shutterstock . com
Abstract Adopting a coaching perspective centred on athlete-environment interaction , this article summarises contemporary skill training literature and theoretical principles based on Nonlinear Pedagogy ( NLP ) and the Constraints-Led Approach ( CLA ). Our analysis highlights two main issues : 1 ) that athletes learn by using information in a performance environment to coordinate their actions ; and 2 ), there are implications of these ideas for training designs and for coaches , athletes and educators . Specifically , we examine various guiding ideas for : 1 ) training designs ; 2 ) the role of the coach during training ; and 3 ), the athlete-coach relationship and the learning process . These notions lead us to propose a one-page summary graphic . The article also concludes with five training principles for coaches and applied sport scientists to consider and adopt .
Key Words Skill adaptation ; Coaching ; Nonlinear Pedagogy ; Constraints-Led Approach ; Representative learning design ; Movement variability ; Co-designing practice .
Introduction ‘ Repetition without repetition ’, ‘ train the way you play ’ and ‘ learning to learn to move ’ are ideas for designing practice environments that researchers , educators , coaches and athletes may encounter in their work . These concepts are important because they succinctly capture key theoretical ideas from an Ecological Dynamics rationale , Nonlinear Pedagogy ( NLP ) and the Constraints- Led Approach ( CLA ), explaining how coaches can help athletes learn to coordinate their actions in performance environments ( eg in invasion games such as netball , hockey and rugby ). Ecology is the study of the relationship between an organism and its environment . An ecological perspective in sport , therefore , is based on the idea that athlete behaviour is best understood when it emerges from the mutual relationship established between the athlete and their performance environment . This perspective for understanding sport performance has gained considerable traction in the coaching and applied sport science literature in recent years , promoting coaches ’ understanding of the acquisition
22