GAME GAIN© coach sense – game sense © Creativity, Autonomy & Tactical Sense (CATS): An exploratory case study using video stimulated recall of elite football coaches’ reflection and analysis of coaching behaviours towards coaching Creativity, Autonomy and Tactical Sense

Abstract

In identifying the limited understanding of creativity within sports coaching and performance, but more pertinently the paucity of how creativity could be coached (Light & Harvey, 2015; Light, 2013; Memmert, 2015), this research proposes and presents ‘Game Gain’ as an orientation that will aim to better accommodate attempts to contextually understand creativity and related coaching behaviours. This research presents conceptualisations of Creativity, Autonomy and Tactical Sense (CATS) as part of Game Gain orientation, and within a case study methodology that engages with (n=2) professional football coaches to explore perspectives and attitudes upon their coaching behaviours as they are; observed, reflectively reviewed and analysed in video review; as to forge new contextual understandings of Creativity, Autonomy and Tactical Sense, and also conceptualise coaching behaviour in relation to CATS and the orientation of Game Gain. Within football and team sports generally, creativity has been viewed as playing and performance moments of; flair, dazzling runs, ball trickery or game-winning actions (Memmert, 2011; Memmert & Roth, 2007). Then within coaching realms, these aspects have focussed on coaching behaviours that would focus training upon skill and technique of performance in playing (Light, 2015; Williams & Hodge, 2005). The focus upon the physical, and mainly involve being in possession of the ball or directly involved in action, has detracted away from the wider, tactical sense, and the engagement and connectedness that would exist, to consider greater cognitive participation (Light & Harvey, 2015; Light, Harvey & Mouchet, 2014). Football coaching culture and the education that has supported these thoughts, English football coaching has been dominated by (what has been labelled) ‘traditional coaching’ (Light & Robert, 2010; Light & Fawns, 2003; Lyle, 2002, Nelson, Cushion & Potrac, 2012; Piggot, 2011) as instructional and didactic coaching behaviours (Light, 2013). This has particularly been the case in elite settings such as professional clubs’ academies that are very often target and hard data driven – with high role objective pressures and 5 often not normally permitting coaches to engage in their own continuing learning and development (Armour, 2011; Lyle & Cushion, 2010; Lyle, 2002). Through the concepts and principles of Game Gain, this research identifies and operationally defines: in possession; with the ball, at-action, and also near and away from the ball and action. Then also: out of possession; ataction, near action and far from the action, and all applied decision-making (Light, Harvey & Mouchet, 2014; Mouchet, 2005). The identified variants of potential coachable moments that are conversely off-the-ball or away from the action and the associated coaching behaviours, are key to instigating stimulated recall and video reflection and analysis for coaches, and possibly challenge their own coaching behaviours. CATS (Game Gain) is proposed to conceptually orient coaches’ understandings on how they interact with their players with apposite coaching behaviours that could align coaching performance more effectively to the definitions offered for Creativity, Autonomy and Tactical Sense for player learning, development and performance. The case study research engaged with n=2 coaches using multiple-perspective video recordings (8 sessions of 40 minutes) for postsession reviews (40 minutes duration) and through stimulated recall to identify with key or indicative moments for; observation, reflection and analysis. This data was then inductively coded according to Lichtman’s (2010) 3C’s approach, from which rich conceptual high-level themes emerged that included; coaches’ review narratives yielded a paradigmatic shift from reflection to analysis, noticing their (often silent) coaching behaviours that related to players’ cognitive involvement regardless of being on-the-ball, offthe-ball or near or away from the action and in or out of possession, and often related decision-making. It is to identify and recognise that engaging coaches to reflect and analyse upon their coaching behaviour is to generate awareness and understanding of coaching behaviours in relation to players’ opportunity to learn, develop ad perform. This is a pertinent aspect of affording creativity conceptual and contextual definition for this research as Game Gain orientation for coaching behaviours in relation to the ideas of Creativity, Autonomy and Tactical Sense.

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