#275 Jon Mackey - Coaching for Learning and Skill Development
Mar 25, 2024
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Jon Mackey, High Performance Director for Canoeing Ireland, discusses coaching for learning and skill development. Topics include contrasting research approaches, evolving coaching styles in combat sports, psychological insights through movement patterns, deliberate practice, scaling in coaching, and coaching athletes for performance and learning.
Utilizing communication tools to enhance athletes' skill acquisition process.
Transitioning from prescriptive to problem-solving coaching methods for effective talent development.
Empowering athletes with mental frameworks to manage judgment tendencies and maintain focus during competitions.
Deep dives
Coaching Philosophy and Journey in Combat Sports
John Mackey discusses his coaching journey in combat sports, focusing on techniques, influences, and experiences in developing athletes in canoeing and kickboxing. He shares insights on transitioning from prescriptive coaching to contextual coaching, emphasizing movement, tactics, and understanding opponent's unconscious movement patterns.
Professional Doctorate in Coaching Practice
John delves into his professional doctorate study at Dublin City University, exploring questions on talent development, skill acquisition, and active inference in coaching. He discusses the shift towards problem-solving coaching methods, the importance of contextual learning modules, and the evolution of his coaching philosophy through research and practical application.
Learning through Movement and Uncertainty in Combat Sports
Mackey highlights the importance of movement analysis and contextual priors in training athletes for combat sport competitions. By identifying and exploiting opponents' unconscious movement patterns, he guides athletes towards learning and performance readiness. Utilizing cues like head nods and shoulder shrugs, Mackey empowers athletes to control uncertainties, enhance skill execution, and build confidence for strategic combat engagements.
Coaching Process around Learning in Combat Sports
In coaching combat sports, setting up contextual priors and shared mental models with athletes plays a crucial role. By creating specific activities to exploit subconscious movement biases, coaches help athletes develop new movement patterns. For instance, when prepping for a kickboxing match against an opponent with exceptional front leg skills, the coach stripped down the training to focus on a new movement pattern called a spear jab to counter the opponent's unique abilities.
The Significance of Mental Frameworks in Elite Athletes
As discussed in the podcast, elite athletes benefit from developing mental frameworks to cope with judgment tendencies during high-pressure moments. Attention, intensity, and intent are key mental skills to master, aiming to sustain focus, manage intensity levels, and execute actions proactively. Coaches play a vital role in guiding athletes to suspend judgment, stay focused, and maintain positive intent during competition. This approach, tailored for elite performers, helps navigate the mental challenges inherent in high-stakes sporting events.
I’m delighted to speak with Jon Mackey this week. Jon is High Performance Director for Canoeing Ireland – managing the Olympic programme across two Olympic sports: canoe slalom and canoe sprint. Jon is also national coach for ring sports (all full contact disciplines) and lead of the coach development program.
Jon’s interests revolve around research in coaching, skill acquisition and decision making, exercise science, physiology and leadership. He has a master’s degree in Coaching and Performance Science and is currently studying a Doctoral degree in Elite Performance in Sport at Dublin City University.
Jon and I discuss a range of topics around coaching including helping competitors to learn more effectively; using communication tools to help athletes acquire skill; and preparing competitors to perform under pressure.
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