Davids, K., Araújo, D., Shuttleworth, R., & Button, C. (2003). Acquiring skill in sport: A constraints-led perspective. Sport Wyczynowy, 41(11/12), 5-16.

🚀 Article in 3 Sentences

The paper initially goes through coordination and how it’s controlled
The CLA is then discussed and the implications for using the CLA to acquire a sports skill
They discuss some of the different aspects of the CLA that is important for coaches to understand when implementing the CLA.

🤝Impressions

This gives a very nice introduction to the CLA and it’s a paper anyone interested in applying the CLA should read. It’s written in a nice accessible way

🎾How Article will influence my coaching

Coordinative Structures are muscle-joint linkages that constrain the large number of degrees of freedom available.
Learners are encouraged to find and assemble their own unique solutions to problems. Exploring lots of different ways to achieve the task goal is crucial whether successful or not
Exploratory practice has different purposes depending on the stage of learning.
A modified ball showed benefits, particularly at the coordination stage. It’s interesting that the benefits might not have been as profound at control stage of learning.
When simplifying the task reduce the task demands but maintain the key information present
From a CLA perspective verbal instructions and visual demonstrations are instructional ‘constraints’ that guide the learners search.

🥇Top Quotes

<aside> 💡 He highlighted the formation of specific functional muscle-joint linkages, later known as coordinative structures, as a method of constraining the large number of degrees of freedom to be regulated in the human movement system

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<aside> 💡 Constraints have been defined as boundaries or features which influence the expression of the form achieved by the system or sub-system seeking a stable state of organisation (Kugler et al., 1980; Newell, 1986). (View Highlight)

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<aside> 💡 Importantly, learners are encouraged to find and assemble their own unique solutions to motor problems during exploratory practice. Discovering various solutions to the task, whether successful or not, is essential in learning to experience varieties of task solutions (Davids, et al., 2004) (View Highlight)

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<aside> 💡 Initially, exploratory practice is useful for athletes to assemble functional and unique coordination structures to achieve a specific task goal such as intercepting a ball, whereas later in learning exploratory practice allows players to refine and adapt existing basic coordinative structures to enhance flexibility (e.g., control a ball in different ways and under different conditions). (View Highlight)

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<aside> 💡 Less prescriptive, learner-regulated feedback, which complements discovery learning and encourages the player to explore the task environment, seems to be a more appropriate instructional technique (View Highlight)

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