The Sport Psych Show #322 Ben Franks - Exploring Ecological Dynamics
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Jun 23, 2025 
In this discussion, Ben Franks, a Senior Lecturer in Applied Coaching Sciences at Oxford Brookes University, shares his expertise in ecological dynamics and coaching. He discusses the challenges coaches face in the Isthmian League when transitioning from player to coach. Ben highlights the importance of creating training environments that reflect real-game scenarios for skill development. He also explores the interplay between intrinsic athlete dynamics and performance intention, advocating for a balance between experiential knowledge and academic insights in coaching practices.
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Essence of Ecological Dynamics
- Ecological dynamics merges ecological psychology and complex dynamic systems theories to explain perception-action coupling without mental representations.
- It views humans as complex systems shaped by environmental constraints and self-organization.
Ecological Dynamics In Sports Skill
- Ecological dynamics offers a powerful alternative to traditional cognition models for understanding skilled behavior.
- It explains athletes' adaptive, creative skills and guides practice design to be variable and representative of game environments.
Use Representative Learning Design
- Design training to include relevant informational cues from actual game environments for better skill transfer.
- Use representative learning design by tailoring practice scenarios to simulate real performance contexts.