The Constraints Collective #72 Mark O'Sullivan
Dec 3, 2025
Mark O'Sullivan, Associate Professor of Football at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, transitioned from a DJ and music producer to a coach educator focused on non-linear approaches to skill acquisition. He discusses his ethnographic PhD research at AIK and critiques traditional coaching practices that prioritize micro-technique over player understanding. Mark emphasizes the significance of context in training, the importance of engaging parent coaches, and shaping players’ intentions through representative tasks and practice design. His insights challenge conventional coaching paradigms, advocating for a more relational, player-centric approach.
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Guinea Pig Goalkeeper From Gaelic Football
- Mark recounts being the 'guinea pig' in a Swedish goalkeeping distribution session despite never playing goalkeeper.
- He could kick well because of Gaelic football, showing technique often emerges from play, not formal teaching.
Train Coaches To Observe First
- Mark O’Sullivan argues coach education must train observation as a core skill rather than just prescribing coaching points.
- He notes courses rarely ask 'what is skill', leaving coaches unprepared to read and shape player-environment interactions.
Use A Task Design Compass
- Use the Foundations For Task Design model (ball, opponent, direction, consequence, representative information) to plan and observe sessions.
- Design tasks so players encounter representative information and shape attention toward relevant affordances.