Coaches, like teachers, do not work in isolation; their effectiveness depends on individual and group interactions. To be successful, coaches have to interact regularly with parents, assistant coaches and other professionals.
One of the benefits that IFS provides is a professional environment in which coaches are able to continuously develop and improve. One of my recent discussions has revolved around communication skills.
So I ask, “Should we teach kids to “play” football” or should we teach kids to “kick” football?
Is playing football, playing chess, playing tennis, playing monopoly, playing music all the same?
If we consider that in languages other than English, “playing” football and “playing” guitar require the use of different verbs, this fact may seem strange to us.
Our understanding is affected by the way we use language to define the activity.
Another example of how language can affect not only understanding but actual movement is described by Nick Winkelman at EXOS:
“Every word you say directly influences a player’s ability to understand and perform a movement. Coaching is a science. One part of this science is cueing, or attentional focus, which is how we verbalize information, instruct, and provide feedback.
In the late 90s, Dr. Gabriele Wulf started looking at cueing from three perspectives: internal, external, and neutral cues.
In recent years, research has shown the positive effects of external cues on motor learning. Not only are they better during the actual learning process, but they also help that learning stick unlike with internal cueing.”
In the following short video, Gabriele Wulf explains how attentional focus can enhance your performers approach to skill learning. She explains the benefits of focusing externally, using cues and focus areas outside of the body.
Leave a Reply