This presentation was delivered at the Football Innovation Summit in London on Tuesday, April 2nd. This presentation explores the role of attention and coaching language (athlete's thoughts) in influencing motor skill learning (i.e., learning movement). This presentation is for sports coaches, strength coaches, therapists, parents, teachers, and athletes.

1. The language of coaching / Nick Winkelman, PhD

2. The coaching communication loop…
-00:02:00
DESCRIBE
-00:00:30
CUE
-00:00:00
DO
+00:00:30
DEBRIEF
-00:00:60
DEMONSTRATE
Extended
description of
the activity
Physical
demonstration
of the activity
Brief phrase used
to bring focus to
the activity
Player focuses
and performs
activity
Player & coach
feedback is
considered

3. ATTENTION
LANGUAGECUEING

4. To understand the impact of coaching cues on skill
learning, we must first understand the role of attention

5. WE CAN ONLY LEARN FROM THE EXPERIENCES WE PAY ATTENTION TO,
THUS A COACH’S CHIEF RESPONSIBILITY IS TO FIRST…
CAPTURE KEEP DIRECT

6. ATTENTION IS A LIMITED CAPACITY RESOURCE
COACHES, LIKE BANKERS, GUIDE ATHLETES’ ATTENTIONAL INVESTMENTS
WE CAN ONLY ‘PAY ATTENTION’ TO #1 THING AT A TIME

8. Say the most with the least, provide athletes with
ONE CUE, one major focus point at a time

9. Now that we know how much to say, the next
question we need to address is what to say.

10. Narrow | Internal
The continuum of coaching cues…

11. Narrow | Internal
Broad | Internal
The continuum of coaching cues…

12. Narrow | Internal
Broad | Internal
Close | External
The continuum of coaching cues…

13. Narrow | Internal
Broad | Internal
Close | External
Far | External
The continuum of coaching cues…
ANALOGY

14. Narrow | Internal
Broad | Internal
Close | External
Far | External
The continuum of coaching cues…
ANALOGY

15. Narrow | Internal
Broad | Internal
Close | External
Far | External
The continuum of coaching cues…
ANALOGY
No evidence to support its effectiveness
Possible benefit compared to narrow Internal
Conclusive evidence confirming effectiveness
Conclusive evidence confirming effectiveness
Conclusive evidence confirming effectiveness

16. Yeah…Yeah…Where’s the proof?

17. WHAT IS THE STANDARD COMMUNICATION PRACTICE?
67%INT
22%EXT
11%
85%INT
15%EXT

18. FOOTBALL…

19. EXTERNAL: Under ball-focused
conditions (ball), participants
were instructed to think about
the expected ball trajectory for
the upcoming target condition.
INTERNAL: Under body-focused
conditions (form), participants
were instructed to think about
the expected body actions for
the upcoming target condition.
FOOTBALL…

20. INT: ‘‘Jump as far as you can. I want you to think about extending your knees as rapidly as possible’’
EXT: ‘‘Jump as far as you can. I want you to think about pushing yourself off as hard as possible from the floor.’’
WHAT ABOUT TECHNIQUE?

21. Experiment 2 | Pressure
Experiment 1 | Streak
Gray, R. (2004 & 2006)
Hitting Streak ↑ Errors
Hitting Slump ↓ Errors
No Pressure 39% Error
Pressure 18% Error
WHAT ABOUT COMPETITION?

22. IS THERE EVER A TIME TO FOCUS INTERNALLY WHILE MOVING?
The slower and simpler the movement, the easier it is to
get away with internal language
The faster and more complex the movement, the more you
should leverage external language
Internal language is more detrimental to novices than it is to
experts, however, there is no evidence of a benefit to experts
No evidence showing that internal language produces superior
shifts in coordination compared to external language

23. The last idea we put in our athlete’s head before
they move should be an EXTERNAL CUE

24. The coaching communication loop…
-00:02:00
DESCRIBE
-00:00:30
CUE
-00:00:00
DO
+00:00:30
DEBRIEF
-00:00:60
DEMONSTRATE
Ext + Int
language
(WHAT)
External Cues +
Analogies
(HOW)
Question
Comment
Collaborate

25. THE LANGUAGE OF COACHING
COMING SOON | HUMAN KINETICS