revisiting teaching games for understanding (tgfu) dr. len almond

Revisiting Teaching Games for Understanding (TGFU)

Dr. Len Almond

Purpose of the Workshop

o Revitalise interest in TGFU to inspire a rethinking of how we teach games

o Encourage you to form your own study group to improve the teaching of games – use the internet

Jigsaw Puzzle Approach

All of us (including young people) haveo Inadequate knowledge baseo Inadequate understandingo Inadequate tools for making connections

in learning

Building the whole game

WHY TEACHING GAMES FOR UNDERSTANDING?

Consensus of collected observations on the way that games were being taught (1980) 1

o A large percentage of children achieving little success due to the emphasis on performance

o The majority of school leavers leaving school “knowing” very little about games

o The development of teacher/coach dependent performers

Consensus of collected observations on the way that games were being taught (1980) 2

o The production of supposedly “skilful” players who in fact possess inflexible techniques and poor decision making capacity

o The failure to develop “thinking” spectators and “knowing” administrators at a time when games (and sport) are an important form of entertainment in the leisure industry

Our Starting Point

o How do you translate a complex adult game into meaningful progressive units that enable a learner to play the game well?

• Use a curriculum framework

A Curriculum Framework

oRepresentationoExaggerationoModificationoShapingTo develop understanding and intelligent performance

Application to Games

o Represent the adult game in its simplest game forms

o Identify a starter game to ensure that the learners enjoy early success and develop confidence.

o Exaggerate key components that you want to focus on in a specific game form to highlight the essential elements of play

Application to Games

o Modify the demands of the game form to enable the student to play the game successfully.

o Identify a logical and progressive sequence of these key components in developmental game forms

o Shape the game forms

First papers on Understanding and Intelligent Action

Key Features of TGFU in 1979

oUnderstanding the GameoIntelligent Performance

(Action in a game)oGame Centred

What is Understanding?

• How can we GRASP the structure of a game?How can we SEE possibilities?how can we MAKE SENSE of Games?

HOW DO WE HELP YOUNG PEOPLE TO ACHIEVE THIS?

There are two aspects of Understanding

o THE LEARNER - Understanding of game acquired by a learner (young person or adult) leading to intelligent performance

o THE TEACHER - Understanding of games by the teacher (or coach) and secondly understanding the process by which they can promote understanding in learners (their pedagogy) so that they can demonstrate their intelligent performance (in their pedagogy)

Issues and Challenges to Physical Education

Clarifying some pointsAim of a game- o to outscore (points/goals/runs) your opponent (s) by outwitting and

outplaying them (strategy and tactics)

Point of a game: o challenge an opponent (s) to play a game who will give you a good game

This is why striving to win is NOT the sole point of the game?

It is a primary rule o If winning was the only point, you would choose to play only easy players

that you could beat.

Classification of Games

o Invasion o Hando Footo Stick

o Net/WalloDivided o Shared

o Striking/Fieldingo FanoOval

o Targeto Opposedo Unopposed

Guiding Principles

oRepresentationoExaggerationoModificationoShapingTo develop understanding and intelligent performance

Modification Principles – to reduce the demands of the game

Provide more appropriate:o Rules that fit the needs of childreno Equipment for younger children that enable them to play

and learno Playing timeo Playing areas and spacesReduceo Number of players in a teamo Body contacto The domination of a game by player ability or physique

Modification in Context

o Create enabling environments – appropriate game forms/developmentally appropriate

o Shaping Gameso External focuso Learn in different/variable contextso Jean Cote researcho Develop technical capacities/prowess

5 v 5

Line Ball

o Technical prowesso Solving the puzzles that emerge in a

game to outwit the opposition• Game intelligence• Applying what we have learnt in

scenario practices to real game situations – being skilful

• Behavioural Flexibility

Intelligent Performance

• Simplifying the process of playing a game

• Challenging players to progressively develop their understanding of playing the game

• Stretching a players capabilities

How can we SHAPE Games?

o Attackingo Defendingo Change overso Restartso Exploiting predictabilityo Being responsive to changes in the gameo Recognising dangerso Recognising potential opportunities

We need to identify Scenarios

o How other teams playo How we can play: possibilities open to uso The Flow of a gameo Set specific challengesoYou are 3 nil down how will you playoYou are 3 -2 up how will you playoYou were winning easily now it is a

draw what can you do

Modelling:

o Understanding the rules of the game, their interpretation and how they can influence play.

o Understanding of strategy, tactics and principles of playo Recognition that what is tactically possible must be

technically possible (Alan Launder in Play Practice)o Understanding what roles and responsibilities individual

players can have:o in attack and defence o when one hasn’t got the ballo restartso change overs

o How your team can play - what options are open to you?o Understanding where one’s own players are and where they

likely to move towardso Recognising how the opposition play

Understanding 1

o Understanding the rules of the game, their interpretation and how they can influence play.

o Understanding of strategy, tactics and principles of playo Recognition that what is tactically possible must be technically possible

(Alan Launder in Play Practice)o Understanding what roles and responsibilities individual players can

have:o in attack and defence o when one hasn’t got the ballo restartso change overs

o How your team can play - what options are open to you?o Understanding where one’s own players are and where they likely to

move towardso Recognising how the opposition play?

Understanding 2

o How the team links together and copes with change-overs.o Intelligent movement off the ballo Intelligent positioningo Putting into play specific roles and responsibilities during a gameo Understanding the options available to one quickly and decisivelyo The capability and quality to recognise and adapt to situations on the field of play

and deliver an intelligent responseo Awareness of when and how to use acquired capacitieso Exploiting predictability of other players as well as defensive and attacking

responses.o Keen nose for dangero Imagination to sense new possibilities to attack or defendo Discipline:

o Putting game plan into actiono in adversity and provocation or when game is going away from you

o Learning from game to gameo Recognising, acknowledging and responding to flaws in one’s game

Game Intelligence

o Where were players a b and c in the last move

o What options did you have when you did x y or z

o When player k had the ball where should you have been or where could you have been?

Stopping the play briefly to pose questions:

A NEW APPROACH TO LEARNING

Game Forms

Games that make it difficult to learn

2 v 2 3 v 3 4 v 4 5 v 5 8 v 8

More easy to learn and refine technique and acquire an understanding of the game

2 v 1 – 3 v 1 - 3 v 2 4 v 2 – 4 v 3 5 v 2 – 5 v 3 - 5 v 4

Games Making

• What is a game?• Relevance and significance of rules• Restoring equality of play• How do you change a game?• Progression: How do you make it more complex?• Need for governance: controlling a game

Examples

PRACTISING

Encouraging young people to do more practice and practise in their own time

Playfulness is an essential ingredient

o Benevolent curiosityo Why can’t I do that?o What mistakes am I making? o Why am I making mistakes? Expect to make mistakeso Why can’t I do xyz? o Examining an ingrained practice and modulating it.

o Think like an artist or one who wants to develop their craft: o How do I develop this? o How can I make it better? o Recognising what I need to work on?o Ability to improvise and change what one is doing.o Exploring how to organise your practice sessionso Use your ‘inner voice’ to capture what you are doing well

(Scientific American June 2011)

Self- Corrective Practising

TGFU Special Interest Group

www.tgfu.info

ANY QUESTIONS?ANY QUESTIONS

OVER TO YOU:

Contact:

almonds@me.com

Xabi Alonso interview with Sid Lowe Guardian Saturday 12 November 2011

“Passion”, he says of course it’s necessary, but it’s more important to

have footballing foundations, certainly when developing players.

You have to truly understand the game.

Technique is vital but intelligence is fundamental

Mancini former manager of Manchester City

Speaking about Alan Johnson Mancini said that he is only young he doesn’t understand the game yet!!!!!!

Dennis Bergkamp- Stillness and Speed

“There is thought behind every touch” referring to Mesut Özill at Arsenal.“They know exactly what to do, and in a way they don’t have to think for themselves any more. It is all done for them. That is over-coaching.”“Teach - creating time with a moving ball - to all young players ”