Small-Sided Pod: Philip O'Callaghan

We are fortunate to have Phillip O’Callaghan on this episode. 

O'Callaghan is a tennis coach and secondary PE teacher in Cork, Ireland. He has a popular twitter account and Substack newsletter dealing with skill acquisition.

NOTE: There are a couple of minor technical issues involving the audio.

EPISODE TOPICS

1:20 - O’Callaghan’s interest in skill acquisition
3:25 - How frustration led to a better way to train
5:00 - Skill acquisitions impact on other aspects of coaching
6:16 - Defining some skill acquisition terminology - Ecological Dynamics, Non-Linear Pedagogy, Constraints-Led Approach
8:15 - More terminology - Affordances & Scaling
11:30 - Individual development vs. Team development
12:30 - How to use CLA when introducing athletes to a sport
14:50 - Why should you use a defender to train an athlete a new skill
16:45 - The principle of representative learning design
18:30 - Using CLA with advanced athletes
20:25 - The role of decision-making in practice planning
22:15 - The role of the coach in using CLA in development
24:05 - Evolving as a coach using a CLA approach
25:20 - Thinking of constraints as opportunities
27:30 - Giving players freedom to play
28:30 - What coaches can expect from players using a CLA approach
31:45 - Can there be some wrong ways to use the CLA
32:45 - Untraditional ways to success are OK
34:00 - Using the Practice Activity Continuum
36:20 - The process of planning a practice
38:50 - Why players enjoy learning in a CLA environment
42:00 - Why you shouldn’t jump head first into CLA