View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Queensland University of Technology ePrints Archive i SPIN IT TO WIN IT: A COMPARISON OF CONSTRAINTS- LED VERSUS TRADITIONAL COACHING APPROACHES Steven James Chapman Bachelor of Exercise and Movement Science Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Science (Research) School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences Faculty of Health Queensland University of Technology November 2015 Spin it to win it: a comparison of constraints-led versus traditional coaching approaches i ii KEYWORDS Bowling; Coaching; Constraints; Cricket; Dynamical Systems Theory; Ecological Dynamics; Ecological Psychology; Non-Linear Pedagogy; Self-Organisation; Spin. Spin it to win it: a comparison of constraints-led versus traditional coaching approaches ii iii ABSTRACT Whilst the rewards of being a successful spin bowler are great, it is a highly complex and demanding skill, with players only thought to reach their peak in their thirties. Given Australia’s focus on finding the “next Shane Warne”, there is considerable interest as to the most effective ways of accelerating young spinners’ development. Traditional coaching approaches in cricket have focused on the explicit instruction of the “ideal” technical execution of the individual skill components. A more contemporary method is the constraints-led approach that relies on the manipulation of key task constraints to allow the emergence of individual solutions through self-organising processes in learning. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of each approach in developing a key component of spin bowling performance, namely spin rate (i.e., how much spin is imparted on the ball). 22 bowlers from a Junior Academy (n=13) or State Under-Age Representative skill level (n=9) were recruited. Participants engaged in a four-week training intervention, practicing via traditional or constraint-led coaching twice a week for one hour. Spin rate was measured before and after the intervention. Results showed that both approaches led to improvements, with the constraints-led approach being more effective overall, but especially for younger/less skilled spinners. A traditional approach, however, was shown to improve spin rate in more skilled bowlers. These results are discussed with reference to Ecological Dynamics and Non-Linear Pedagogy, and practical implications are proposed. Spin it to win it: a comparison of constraints-led versus traditional coaching approaches iii iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Keywords ................................................................................................................................. ii Abstract ................................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents .................................................................................................................... iv List of Figures ........................................................................................................................ vii List of Tables ........................................................................................................................ viii List of Abbreviations .............................................................................................................. ix Statement of Original Authorship ............................................................................................ x Acknowledgments................................................................................................................... xi Chapter 1: Introduction .......................................................................................... 12 1.0 Background ................................................................................................................. 12 2.0 Context ............................................................................................................................. 13 3.0 Purposes ........................................................................................................................... 13 4.0 Significance, Scope, and Definitions .......................................................................... 13 5.0 Thesis Outline ............................................................................................................. 14 Chapter 2: Literature Review ................................................................................. 16 1.0 Ecological Dynamics .................................................................................................. 16 2.0 Dynamical Systems Theory ........................................................................................ 17 2.1 Self-Organisation .......................................................................................................................... 18 2.2 Attractors ...................................................................................................................................... 19 2.3 Phase Transitions .......................................................................................................................... 20 3.0 Constraints-Led Approach to Coaching...................................................................... 21 4.0 Non-Linear Pedagogy ................................................................................................. 24 4.1 Non-Linear Pedagogy Application to Skill Development ............................................................ 25 5.0 Defining Skill from a Constraints-Led Perspective .................................................... 26 6.0 Examples of the Constraints-Led Approach in Practice ............................................. 29 6.1 Tennis ........................................................................................................................................... 29 6.2 Cricket training methods using Constraints-Led Approach.......................................................... 30 7.0 Traditional Skill Acquisition Methods........................................................................ 31 7.1 Information-Processing Theory .................................................................................................... 31 7.2 Schema Theory ............................................................................................................................. 32 8.0 Traditional Coaching Approaches .............................................................................. 33 9.0 Defining Skill from a Traditional Perspective ............................................................ 35 10.0 Spin Bowling .............................................................................................................. 37 11.0 Current Literature Gaps .............................................................................................. 38 Spin it to win it: a comparison of constraints-led versus traditional coaching approaches iv v 12.0 Summary ..................................................................................................................... 39 Chapter 3: Methods ................................................................................................. 41 1.0 Methodology and Research Design ............................................................................ 41 1.1 Methodology ....................................................................................................................................... 41 1.2 Research Design ................................................................................................................................. 41 2.0 Participants ....................................................................................................................... 42 Group Selection ........................................................................................................................................ 42 Coaching Expertise ................................................................................................................................... 43 3.0 Instruments ....................................................................................................................... 43 4.0 Procedure and Timeline ................................................................................................... 44 Phase 1 ...................................................................................................................................................... 44 5.0 Analysis............................................................................................................................ 46 6.0 Ethical Considerations ..................................................................................................... 46 Chapter 4: Results.................................................................................................... 48 1.0 All Participants For Phase One ................................................................................... 48 2.0 Participants by Skill Level .......................................................................................... 49 2.1 Junior Academy Participants ........................................................................................................ 49 2.2 Under-Age Representative Participants ........................................................................................ 50 2.3 Summary .....................................................................................................................................