EP22: How do Games-Based Approaches Differ from the CLA?

In this episode, Alex Sarama discusses the differences between a games-based approach and a constraint-led approach (CLA) in basketball coaching. He emphasizes that while a games-based approach may be enjoyable for players, it lacks the intentional use of constraints for skill adaptation that the CLA offers. Alex explains that a games-based approach originated in the 1980s as a way to make physical education lessons more enjoyable and improve problem-solving skills. He demonstrates how manipulating constraints and creating specific environments can enhance skill development and decision-making in players. Alex also provides examples of how the CLA can be applied to common small-sided games in basketball, such as one-on-one, three-on-three chaser games, and three-on-three pass keep away. 

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Key Takeaways:

2:40 - Differences between the CLA and a Game-Based Approach

5:00 - Similarities between the CLA and a Games-Based Approach

7:45 - Ecological Dynamics vs Information Processing

10:30 - Functionality vs Tactical Understanding

14:45 - Questioning

19:45 - Progressions & Regressions vs Complexity & Simplicity

24:00 - Examples

Articles Mentioned:

Why the Constraints-led Approach is not Teaching Games for Understanding: A Clarification

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283519505_Why_the_Constraints-Led_Approach_is_not_Teaching_Games_for_Understanding_a_clarification

Teaching Games for Understanding and Situated Learning: Rethinking the Bunker-Thorpe Model

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/44164225_Teaching_Games_for_Understanding_and_Situated_Learning_Rethinking_the_Bunker-Thorpe_Model

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