THOUGHTS ON COACHING - a thread 🧵 Having participated in several 140 character back and forths with coaches, I thought I would post my thoughts on coaching, skill and learning, to get a conversation going, so here goes!

Recorded my FIFA presentation today to be posted on the FIFA training website at the end of the year - absolutely pumped for this opportunity. I have officially made it!!

When at the FA I was in a development group with Pete Sturgess Paul (Noddy) Holder & Greame Carrick - we were fortunate to have discussions with Ecological Dynamics experts Keith David’s Rick Shuttlworth & Duarte Araujo - their insights were clear & simple (hope my notes are) 🧵

Except an opponent

Coaches might lose their minds over this🤷‍♂️ But when you remove the whistle and allow players to travel during a small sided game like this, you might just open the door to movement patterns they've never explored before. Would you ever try this?

“Head Coach Alex Sarama represents the next generation of coaching. He’s not just teaching the game, he’s transforming it.” - Vanja Černivec

Because it’s not a method, it doesn’t exclude traditional drills or feedback. Rather, it recontextualizes and prioritizes which, how, and why different methods can be more effective. @kestrelpsych @MovementMiyagi @TylerYearby @markstkhlm For more:

A message to all coaches, please read things before you comment. Most uneducated comment about the ecological approach. Also comments about a golden age of development has been empirically shown to be incorrect.

Came across this healthy discussion when someone liked it recently. This is how it’s supposed to go!

Ecological Football- not just to know more (knowledge about) but to know better (knowledge of) https://t.co/eZX151umiQ

Don’t fall into this trap: they’re not learning football. They’re learning movements. Research shows skill doesn’t emerge from isolated drills or repetition but from contextual play. Learning the game means adapting, perceiving& making decisions within the game’s dynamic reality.

Let’s go! Sport Coaching minor @butleru

Houston coach Kelvin Sampson on state of the game: "We're still in an educational institution, but there is nothing educational about college basketball right now. It's all transactional. And we all put our heads in the sand." Sampson, Tom Izzo + John Calipari are speaking out."

"Even at the highest levels, there is such variability in terms of how players solve movement problems." - @kestrelpsych https://t.co/H3GDLxQlkB

Twitter conversations would improve if every time someone tweets “science says” or “research found”, the citation was required.

A key universal principle - intention. Manipulate the opponent to create scoring opportunities.

1/9 Want to build a more fast-paced team? The key is not yelling “push the ball” or running sprints in practice. It is about creating highly specific environments that invite the principles which lead to high-paced offense. 🏀🧵

Referee delivers an honest response to a parent being a smart-mouth on the sideline. “Do you really think you should be refereeing 7 games in 24 hours?” “No I don’t, but there are fewer and fewer people willing to do this because of people like you. Just grow up!“ #coaching

I have a mental illness that makes me think that people will change their minds if I present the correct arguments with the appropriate facts and data.

A session that runs smoothly might look good on video… …but learning lives in the messy moments. ⚡ If your session looks perfect, they’re probably not being stretched enough to grow. Mistakes mean they’re exploring and that’s where confidence is built. Do you plan for

Today we welcome Portland Fire Head Coach, Alex Sarama. A globally-respected innovator in basketball who joins from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Sarama’s approach blends creativity, performance science, and a deep understanding of how athletes learn and adapt. His approach has