Paradigm does not define method. Coaches, practitioners and researchers often debate about direct instruction, and often whether it “fits” ecological dynamics, but this debate often confuses behaviours with paradigms. Loren Anderson wrote a nice blog on Substack, essentially making the claim that ecological dynamics (a theory) does not reject direct instruction (a behaviour). And I agree. Direct instruction can be used within an ecological dynamics framework, or any other framework. But it...

My PhD work is centered on the role of a skill acquisition specialist. There is much to be said about the role, but this post will focus on two different intentions of skill acquisition specialist – facilitating athlete skill acquisition and facilitating coach learning in athlete skill acquisition. An epistemology describes how we believe knowledge is acquired and justified. A pedagogy describes how we design and facilitate learning for others. Kirschner (2021) offers a useful case study to...

Recently I have gotten the opportunity to deliver and co-deliver the Introduction to Gaelic Games (ICGG) coaching course in Townsville...