The Teesra

Blog

  • A question of skill in sport — learning vs. acquisition & development

    Is learning facts the same process as developing a new skill?

    If it is, then (perhaps) academic pedagogical principles transfer to sports coaching.

    But if skill development is a different type of “learning”, does the coach need other techniques?

    Now, I currently have little to base this feeling beyond my own experience of learning. And I have to admit that my own learning might well have been sub-optimal!

    But learning facts (school, university) always felt very different to developing a new (sport) skill.

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  • Running out the non-striker — how was it that the only people in the ground who noticed were the fielding team?

    Peter Della Penna’s forensic analysis of the now infamous run out † of Charlie Dean at Lord’s was pretty conclusive. Dean had left her crease early on more than 70 occasions prior to being dismissed, several times being 2’ out of her ground before the ball was released by the bowler.

    But were any of the England coaches and analysts and support staff actually watching the game?

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  • WITTW vs. WIN — is winning the most important outcome, even for “high performance”?

    The ECB’s 2022 High Performance Review, led by Andrew Strauss, has attracted extensive scrutiny for the suggested new playing schedule for First Class and List A, but remarkably little for those elements of the Review that relate to creating a high performance culture away from match days i.e. coaching, pathway, player development.

    In amongst the less-discussed sections of the Review is a proposal to “embed…[What It Takes To Win] WITTW into the ECB coaching curriculum.”

    It certainly makes sense for coaches to help players to develop and deploy skillsets that contribute to winning.

    But I have concerns, ideological and practical, on the choice of WITTW as an appropriate model within cricket.

    Might we be better concentrating on What’s Important Now?

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