Using Constraints for Better Skill Development In Games | Philip O'Callaghan Returns

And so we've touched on different types of constraint there, and we'll go into use of and manipulation of in a second, but I, I asked you like when I was sending on the questions, do we underappreciate, but I, I dunno if it's the right term, but just some of the, the environmental and individual constraints that people have adapted over years that we don't always like even realize are there, but can they be big parts of shaping the type of player a player is, or the type of game a team from a certain area may end up playing?

Yeah, so I suppose like when I look at the constraints, like it's quite easy to say like, "Oh, I'm changing this constraint," but I suppose one of the ideas that I like to think of is like if you view like all the constraints as like a web of constraints, and they're all gonna be influencing each other.

So, um, like what it, I found it allows me to do in my own coaching is that like if I understand the, like a lot of the constraints that might be acting on a player, um, even like I can kinda I suppose appreciate, um, why they might be s- doing things in a certain way.

So like say if you're working with teenagers, like an important one is gonna be like they're gonna go through a growth spurt, so that's something you're probably gonna be a- you need to be aware of as a coach 'cause that might affect their coordination.

Um, as you said, like it could affect like the way a team plays.

So like, I suppose there's some kinda common examples, like if you look at maybe in Brazil historically they would've been quite, have quite, or played with a lot of flair, and that's 'cause they grew up playing a lot of street football or, uh, futsal.

Um, and like that would obviously have an impact maybe in, um, like if you're looking at Irish context, maybe like Kerry footballers would be known for being able to kick the ball very well usually, um, and things like that.

So yeah, like when we I suppose understand the constraints that, or the underlying constraints or the web of constraints, I think it does allow us to kinda make better decisions as a coach and helps us inform our practice.

And when it comes then, so we'll, we'll spend a bit of time here around using and adapting and modifying constraints.

Th- this is where your press model comes in, is it?

Yeah, so I suppose like the press was, model was, or framework or whatever you wanna call it, was just like it doesn't enco- um, I suppose encompass all the different things you can do, but it was just to kinda give coaches a starting point of like how to think about manipulating constraints.

So when we were talking about press, it was just like position, rules, equipment, space, and scoring.

I suppose a lot of the time they'd be common constraints and, um, that coaches would have control over in their session.

So like can you, like the rules of the game, you can give bonus points, you could, um, even though that might actually be more in the scoring.

So like you might incentivize w- through your scoring, so like if you score with your weaker side you get three points, if you score with your, um, strong side you get one.

So it's not saying you can only score with your left or your right or whatever, but you get different points, so you're trying to incentivize.

That's just a basic one.

Like position, um, like you might change the starting position of players.

The rules, like that could take into account things like, uh, numbers of players on every team, um, and just the general rules of the game.

Um, equipment, so like you might change, like, uh, one that coaches in hurling would have seen, like is like the different size sliotars for different groups, um, and stuff like that.

And then space is like just the playing area, and like I suppose we're not ...

Like sometimes we want to make that space bigger to make it easier, sometimes smaller, and like it's gonna depend on the numbers.

So like if you have a small space with a lot of players, it's gonna be quite difficult 'cause they're, like they've no time.

Um, so sometimes you make it smaller, sometimes you make it bigger depending on what your goal is and stuff like that.

So, um, while it doesn't like capture every single constraint imaginable, it's like a good starting point for like coaches to think of, um, when they're starting to like introduce some of the constraints in their own practices.