LOOKING AT, LISTENING TO, AND TRYING OUT LEARNING PREFERENCES

It seems like only yesterday that the English FA launched its 'Future Game' strategy and Youth Modules. One of the ingredients thrown into the mix was the idea that players ( people ) have preferred learning styles. Indeed they do, and there is plenty of evidence to support that but, the question now challenging this ingredient is, do players ( people ) actually retain information better if a coaching session / lesson caters for their preference?

Do players process information better / quicker if delivered visually or verbally? Or do they just prefer to get on with it and see how it goes? Surely you would show and tell ( or better still - ask ), then invite players to try something, regardless?

There seems to be a host of research debunking the idea, although very few of the tests actually meet what you would consider to be the basic requirements in order to accurately draw a conclusion. However, a few do tick many of the boxes apparently, and the current thinking is that there is no gain.

People clearly do have a preference, but to what end though? Perhaps it's not that they retain information better, but they grasp it faster?

It's actually difficult to research these experiments and the criteria, so it's probably best to reserve judgement, and not just take it on trust that the many variables in a highly subjective examination were considered. After all, football is littered with rubbish ideas once thought groundbreaking. Or were they rubbish?

#FAYouthModules #LearningPreferences #Coaching