The Athletic Skills Model offers an alternative to dominant talent development theories in the form of holistic broad-based movement education, focusing on health and wellbeing. It places the emphasis on ‘physical intelligence’ – including attributes such as agility, flexibility and stability – through adaptable and varied training programmes, creating a skilled athlete before introducing sport specialization. The book sets out the scientific underpinnings of the ASM before going on to offer practical guidance on the content of the programme, how to adapt and vary the programme, and how to apply the approach to different age groups and sports. The ASM’s application in the youth development programme at AFC Ajax is explored in depth, before a future of talent development with an emphasis on athletic, rather than sport-specific, expertise is imagined. The Athletic Skills Model introduces an important and timely challenge to conventional wisdom in talent development and is a fascinating read for any upper-level student or researcher interested in youth development, skill acquisition, motor learning or sports coaching, and any coaches wanting to refresh their approach to talent development.

This book offers an ecological conceptualisation of physical literacy. Re-embracing our ancestry as hunter gatherers we gain a new appreciation and understanding of the importance of play, not only in terms of how children learn, but also in showing us as educators how we can lay the foundations for lifelong physical activity. The concept of physical literacy has been recognised and understood throughout history by different communities across the globe. Today, as governments grapple with the multiple challenges of urban life in the 21st century, we can learn from our forebears how to put play at the centre of children’s learning in order to build a more enduring physically active society. This book examines contemporary pedagogical approaches, such as constraints-led teaching, nonlinear pedagogy and the athletic skills model, which are underpinned by the theoretical framework of Ecological Dynamics. It is suggested that through careful design, these models, aimed at children, as well as young athletes, can (i) encourage play and facilitate physical activity and motor learning in children of different ages, providing them with the foundational skills needed for leading active lives; and (ii), develop young athletes in elite sports programmes in an ethical, enriching and supportive manner. Through this text, scientists, academics and practitioners in the sub-disciplines of motor learning and motor development, physical education, sports pedagogy and physical activity and exercise domains will better understand how to design programmes that encourage play and thereby develop the movement skills, self-regulating capacities, motivation and proficiency of people, so that they can move skilfully, effectively and efficiently while negotiating changes throughout the human lifespan.

Before athletes can become strong and powerful, they need to master the movement skills required in sport. Athletic Movement Skills covers the underlying science and offers prescriptive advice on bridging the gap between scientist and practitioner so coaches and athletes can work together to achieve dominance.

Long-Term Athlete Development offers an in-depth explanation of the long-term athlete development model, an approach to athlete-centered sport that combines skill instruction with long-term planning and an understanding of human development to produce athlete growth.

Nonlinear pedagogy is a powerful paradigm for understanding human movement and for designing effective teaching, coaching and training programs in sport, exercise and physical education. It addresses the inherent complexity in the learning of movement skills, viewing the learner, the learning environment and the teacher or coach as a complex interacting system, with the constraints of individual practice tasks providing the platform for functional movement behaviours to emerge. This is the first book to explain this profoundly important new approach to skill acquisition, introducing key theoretical ideas and best practice for students, teachers and coaches. The first section of the book offers a general theoretical framework to explain processes of skill acquisition and the learning of movement skills. The book then defines nonlinear pedagogy, and outlines its key principles of practice. It offers a thorough and critical appraisal of the optimal use of instructional constraints and practice design, and discusses methods for creating challenging and supportive individualised learning environments at developmental, sub-elite and elite levels of performance. Every chapter contains cases and examples from sport and exercise contexts, providing guidance on practice activities and lessons. Nonlinear Pedagogy in Skill Acquisition is an essential companion for any degree level course in skill acquisition, motor learning, sport science, sport pedagogy, sports coaching practice, or pedagogy or curriculum design in physical education.

For the last 25 years, a constraints-based framework has helped to inform the way that many sport scientists seek to understand performance, learning design and the development of expertise and talent in sport. The Constraints-Led Approach: Principles for Sports Coaching and Practice Design provides students and practitioners with the theoretical knowledge required to implement constraints-led approaches in their work. Seeking to bridge the divide between theory and practice, the book sets out an ‘environment design framework’, including practical tools and guidance for the application of the framework in coaching and skill acquisition settings. It includes chapters on constraints-led approaches in golf, athletics and hockey, and provides applied reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students of motor learning, skill acquisition and developing sport expertise. Providing a thorough grounding in the theory behind constraints-led approaches to skill acquisition, and a foundational cornerstone in the Routledge Studies in Constraints-Based Methodologies in Sport series, this is a vital pedagogical resource for students and practising sports coaches, physical education teachers and sport scientists alike.

This new edition of Complete Guide to Sport Education contains everything your students need to get—and keep—children active. Regardless of skill or confidence level, your students will learn how to get children to work together, support each other, and gain competence in sport and fitness skills so that they can stay moving now and throughout their lifetime. The Sport Education model is appropriate for various dance forms and recreational activities such as swimming, weightlifting, and other fitness programs such as aerobic routines and hiking. The text for this groundbreaking Sport Education curricular model has expanded to 12 chapters, is updated throughout, and offers even more practical examples and real-world applications from both elementary and secondary levels: • A new emphasis on using the Sport Education model to help students reach national goals for physical activity, including outside of class time • Review of the findings from more than 50 research studies that examine the efficacies of the Sport Education model • More online teacher resources—including ready-to-use forms, plans, assessments, charts, and handouts A few examples of new resources include a series of team practice cards that teachers and team coaches can use to plan practices, and templates that allow teachers to choose among several game-play performance indicators (techniques and tactics, rules and strategies, fair play, and so on). The resources make it easy for professors to use this text in college methods and curriculum courses. Authors Daryl Siedentop, Peter Hastie, and Hans van der Mars provide a perfect blend of rock-solid theory and practical application for a wealth of games, sports, and fitness activities. Through their Sport Education model, children quickly become involved in all aspects of a sport or activity, learning skills, sportsmanship, and responsibility. The curriculum helps students develop as leaders and as team players. And as they learn to become true players and performers, they become more competent and confident—thus leading to the likelihood that they will continue being active after school, on weekends, and as they grow. This second edition of Complete Guide to Sport Education will help school programs meet national physical activity guidelines and the national physical education standards established by NASPE. It contains everything that future physical education teachers need in order to implement an effective program. With its greater emphasis on activity and fitness, its expanded resources, its relevance and freshness, and its practical approach, Complete Guide to Sport Education, Second Edition, is just what your students need to point children in the direction of healthy, active lifestyles.