By Barry Mullane
Director and founder of Active Sports Coaching and part time PE lecturer at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick
Twitter: @barrymullane1
Email: barrymullane@gmail.com
Director and founder of Active Sports Coaching and part time PE lecturer at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick
Twitter: @barrymullane1
Email: barrymullane@gmail.com
“Your coaching philosophy describes how you will approach your role as a coach and how you will ensure that you are staying true to your purpose and core values – (Wade Gilbert, 2017)
I can sum up my own philosophy in these points:
Before you sit down and design your games, or your coaching session, it’s important to note that a games based approach (GBA) does not just mean 2 goalposts, 2 teams and play a match. A GBA means, using multiple goals, zones, gates, keeping possession, game based scenarios, small sided games (SSG), wide sided games (WSG), long sided games (LSG) and overload games.
Ometto et al., (2018) described a GBA and in particular using SSG as an opportunity to practice performance in a sub scaled version of the whole formal game. These games provide opportunities to experience physical, physiological, cognitive and technical demands of the sport. When designing or adapting the games, always keep in mind the demands of the sport (see Fig 1). Ask yourself the question; what will the players experience during the match? If your sport is soccer, are your players being afforded the opportunities to look up and pass under pressure? In my own coaching, my aim for each session is to ensure the players are able to make a decision with each ball they get and use the ball under pressure.
(Fig 1) where does your sport fit into Dave Alred’s matrix?
- “Every pass must have a thought” – Dennis Bergkamp
- Use and receive the ball under pressure
- Repetition without repetition
Before you sit down and design your games, or your coaching session, it’s important to note that a games based approach (GBA) does not just mean 2 goalposts, 2 teams and play a match. A GBA means, using multiple goals, zones, gates, keeping possession, game based scenarios, small sided games (SSG), wide sided games (WSG), long sided games (LSG) and overload games.
Ometto et al., (2018) described a GBA and in particular using SSG as an opportunity to practice performance in a sub scaled version of the whole formal game. These games provide opportunities to experience physical, physiological, cognitive and technical demands of the sport. When designing or adapting the games, always keep in mind the demands of the sport (see Fig 1). Ask yourself the question; what will the players experience during the match? If your sport is soccer, are your players being afforded the opportunities to look up and pass under pressure? In my own coaching, my aim for each session is to ensure the players are able to make a decision with each ball they get and use the ball under pressure.
(Fig 1) where does your sport fit into Dave Alred’s matrix?
As mentioned earlier, a GBA can mean many things. Below (Fig 2) is what looks like a linear/prescriptive practice but in this practice players are using and receiving the ball under pressure and making decisions on and off the ball.
(Fig 2)
(Fig 2)
The above exercise is a classic example or Bernstein’s (1967) concept of ‘repetition without repetition’. Bernstein suggested that ‘practice does not mean to mechanically repeat the same solution to a given task, but, to repeat over and over, the process of solving the task itself. For us as coaches, we must put players into situations where they can develop technically in an environment they will experience in the actual match. The repetition should be making a decision on ball just as it is in a match environment. While prescriptive activities and structure is good for tactical and skill development, chaos is essential for learning and developing players. Chaos brings a challenge to players, allows them solve problems and promotes leadership. If your training is too predictable, the teams’ performance will become predictable as well.
Types of games
Hristovski et al., (2006) discussed the ‘metastable performance region’ when highlighting that the environment you create for your players or athlete is crucial. If you place a boxer too near a punching bag, their jabs will suffer. Place the boxer too far and their uppercuts will suffer due to an over use of the jab! The same applies to coaches who constantly use the same type of game. Using SSG for the majority of a coaching session can lead to overuse injury, bad habits developing and a neglect of other technical skills.
When you are designing your games, think about what you are trying to improve. A coach should isolate the part of the game they wish to improve and then design the session/game around that. As mentioned earlier, one should not mistake a GBA as just playing SSG. A coach needs to be cognisant of lengthening or widening the playing pitch. It worth noting Gabbet, Jenkins and Abernethy’s (2009) belief that realistic improvements in fitness and performance happen when sessions stimulate the physiological and technical demands of competition.
(Fig 3)
Hristovski et al., (2006) discussed the ‘metastable performance region’ when highlighting that the environment you create for your players or athlete is crucial. If you place a boxer too near a punching bag, their jabs will suffer. Place the boxer too far and their uppercuts will suffer due to an over use of the jab! The same applies to coaches who constantly use the same type of game. Using SSG for the majority of a coaching session can lead to overuse injury, bad habits developing and a neglect of other technical skills.
When you are designing your games, think about what you are trying to improve. A coach should isolate the part of the game they wish to improve and then design the session/game around that. As mentioned earlier, one should not mistake a GBA as just playing SSG. A coach needs to be cognisant of lengthening or widening the playing pitch. It worth noting Gabbet, Jenkins and Abernethy’s (2009) belief that realistic improvements in fitness and performance happen when sessions stimulate the physiological and technical demands of competition.
(Fig 3)
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The above games are examples of a long sided game and a wide sided game. The ‘give it long game’ is designed to improve long passing under pressure. The idea is to work on the technical aspects of the game in a match environment. Similarly in the ‘switch’ game. The pitch is made as wide as possible so players have lots of space to work on technical aspects of the game such as off the ball running, passing as well as scoring under pressure.
In my professional capacity as director of Active Sport Coaching, we teach primary school children fundamental movement skills through a GBA. Simple chasing or tag games like stuck in the mud or freeze tag can teach children the fundamentals of movement in team sports. Tag games help children learn about occupying space, evading opponents, making decisions like ‘will I run or stay? Will I help my friend or will I save myself?
Similarly, fun games like over the river or bench ball (Fig 4) help develop technical skills such as throwing and catching in a fun and challenging environment. Games help develop children technically, physically, cognitively and socially.
(Fig 4)
In my professional capacity as director of Active Sport Coaching, we teach primary school children fundamental movement skills through a GBA. Simple chasing or tag games like stuck in the mud or freeze tag can teach children the fundamentals of movement in team sports. Tag games help children learn about occupying space, evading opponents, making decisions like ‘will I run or stay? Will I help my friend or will I save myself?
Similarly, fun games like over the river or bench ball (Fig 4) help develop technical skills such as throwing and catching in a fun and challenging environment. Games help develop children technically, physically, cognitively and socially.
(Fig 4)
