What is (football) skill?
Skill is an important concept in all of our daily lives. Better skills lead to better performance, which in turn can lead to better results. But how to define a skill and how to acquire it in the most effective way?
Traditional definition
Reductionism is a way of thinking that says that all things are made of simpler or more basic things and that they can be explained in terms of those simpler things. The roots of reductionism go back to ancient Greek philosophers who sought a unified basis for nature. Reductionism has contributed to the development of many scientific fields (for example, physics, chemistry and biology) and is a major influence on the Western cultural space.
The traditional reductionist definition of skill is based on the idea that a skill is a stable and programmed movement technique that can be learned through repeated repetition and memorization. This definition assumes that learning and performance are separate sequential events and that the skill can be internalized within the individual.
From this perspective, it is important to measure the accuracy, speed and consistency of movement when evaluating a skill. It is also important to observe the development of the movement at the initial, intermediate and advanced levels. The traditional definition has been dominant in sports pedagogy and exercise science for a long time.
Ecological definition
Ecological dynamics is a way of thinking that says that all things are complex and changing, and that they can be explained by the interactions between their parts and the environment. Ecological dynamics is based on the ideas of the 20th century English philosopher James Gibson in ecological psychology. Ecological dynamics is an alternative view to the traditional reductionist perspective because of its idea that phenomena are special and meaningful and can only be understood in their own context.
The ecological approach is more characteristic of cultures that are:
holistic (sees the world as a whole, not as a sum of parts)
emergent (sees phenomena as special and having properties that their parts do not have)
interpretive (sees knowledge as constructed and meaningful, not objective and universal)
Some examples of such cultures could be indigenous, oriental, and postmodern cultures.
The ecological dynamics definition of a skill is based on the idea that a skill is an adaptive behavior that arises from the interaction between the performer and the environment. This definition assumes that learning and performance are in a clear symbiosis and that skill depends on the perception-action relationship in the performance environment.
Based on this idea, it is important to measure the adaptability, creativity and judgment of the performer when evaluating a skill. It is also important to observe the suitability of a person's functionality in the conditions of different tasks and environments. The definition of ecological dynamics has been innovative in sport psychology and movement studies in recent decades.
Traditional vs Ecological
The traditional and ecological views differ in how they conceptualize skill, learning, variability, and exercise design. The traditional perspective looks at skill as a fixed characteristic of the performer, learning as a linear process of acquiring movement patterns, variability as a source of error, and the design of exercises as a way of providing information to the performer.
The perspective of ecological dynamics looks at skill as a flexible property of the performer-environment system, learning as a non-linear process from the study of movement solutions, variability as a source of creativity and designing exercises as a way of selecting information from the performance environment.
Traditional and ecological perspective in practice
Traditional reductionist and ecological ideas can be illustrated using examples from various sports. For example, in football, a traditional approach is used where the coach teaches the players specific techniques such as passing, ball control, different kicks, etc. In this case, training is often static, structured and isolated, without opponents or changing conditions. The coach provides a lot of instruction and feedback to the players and evaluates their performance based on the quality and quantity of movement.
As an example of an ecological approach, the coach creates different situations for the players where they have to use their perception and judgment. In this case, training is dynamic, flexible and integrated, with opponents and changing conditions. The coach provides little guidance and feedback to the players and evaluates their performance based on adaptability and creativity.
| Pros | Cons |
Traditional approach | A simple and clear definition of a skill as a movement technique. | Ignores the relationship between the performer and the environment and its effect on the skill. |
| A simple and clear method for teaching and assessing a skill. | Ignores the perception-action relationship and its importance to skill. |
| | Ignores the role of variability and adaptability in skill development and performance. |
Ecological approach | A comprehensive and flexible definition of skill as adaptive behavior. | A complex and abstract definition of a skill that requires deep understanding. |
| A comprehensive and flexible method for teaching and assessing a skill. | A complex and abstract method of teaching and assessing a skill that requires specific knowledge and skills. |
| Well suited to dynamic or changing environments where adaptability or creativity is required. | |
Conclusion
The definition of a skill is an important topic both in sports and in other areas of life, because it greatly affects how we expect a person to acquire new skills and how pedagogues or coaches help to acquire new and better skills. Traditional and ecological perspectives offer different ways of understanding and developing a skill. The traditional perspective emphasizes movement technique and stability, while the ecological dynamics perspective emphasizes behavioral adaptation and variability. Both perspectives have their advantages and disadvantages and could be suitable for different purposes and contexts.
I hope this post created in collaboration with AI will help create clarity to understand the different views on how to address the skill. If you want to learn more about the acquisition of skills and abilities from the perspective of traditional and ecological dynamics, I recommend reading:
Davids et al. (2013). Dynamics of skill acquisition: An ecological dynamics approach. Human Kinetics.
Renshaw et al. (2019). Nonlinear pedagogy in skill acquisition: An introduction. Routledge.
Seifert and Davids (2017). Ecological dynamics: A theoretical framework for understanding sport performance, physical education and physical activity. Movement & Sport Sciences - Science & Motricité, 95(1), 1-15.
Woods et al. (2020). Sport practitioners as sport ecology designers: How ecological dynamics has progressively changed perceptions of skill “acquisition” in the sporting habitat. Frontiers in Psychology, 11(654), 1-12.
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